THE  BELLS  OE 
ri7HE  BLOE  PAGODA 


SJ 

JEAN 

CARTER 

COCHRAN 


r^'swr  .1-  ' i 

PZ  3 . C641 5 Be 

Cochran,  Jean  Carter,  1876- 

The  bells  of  the  blue  pagod 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/bellsofbluepagod00coch_0 


THERE  IN  A LITTLE  HOLLOW,  SHADED  BY  TREES,  LAY  THE  TEMPLE  OB'  THE  DRAGON  POOL 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE 
BLUE  PAGODA 

THE  STRANGE  ENCHANTMENT 
OF  A CHINESE  DOCTOR 


By  y 

JEAN  CARTER  COCHRAN 

Author  of  "Nancy’s  Mother,”  "Foreign  Magic,”  "Old  John,” 
and  Other  Stories 


PHILADELPHIA 
THE  WESTMINSTER  PRESS 
1922 


Copyright,  1922 
By  Frank  M.  Braselman 


Published  in  the  U.  S.  A. 


TO  MY  SISTER 

“I  never  crossed  your  threshold  with  a grief. 

But  that  I went  without  it;  never  came 
Heart-hungry  but  you  fed  me,  eased  the  blame. 
And  gave  the  sorrow  solace  and  relief. 

I never  left  you  but  I took  away 
The  love  that  drew  me  to  your  side  again 
Through  the  wide  door  that  never  could  remain 
Quite  closed  between  us  for  a single  day.” 

— Author  Unknown. 


INTRODUCTION 


IT  is  no  easy  task  to  portray  the  life  of  a for- 
eign land;  with  all  the  will  in  the  world  the 
writer  is  an  outsider  and  often  fails  to  realize  the 
significance  of  some  time-honored  custom.  All 
that  the  author  can  do  is  to  try  to  catch  the 
spirit  of  the  country  as  best  he  may  and  the  only 
recipe  that  one  can  give  to  him  is  that  he  should 
love  the  people  and  the  country;  otherwise  he  is 
doomed  to  failure.  In  this  love  there  must  be  no 
lack  of  sincerity  and  one  must  endeavor  to  draw 
his  characters  as  true  to  life  as  he  would  in  writ- 
ing of  his  own  people. 

This  story  is  an  attempt  to  catch  the  atmos- 
phere and  some  of  the  poetry  of  China;  for  that 
reason  the  author  has  adhered  to  the  Chinese 
custom  of  calling  the  characters  and  places  by 
the  picturesque  names  given  as  a matter  of  course 
in  that  country.  Little  Small-Feet,  the  Great 
Helpful  Lady,  and  Old  Scarred  Face  are  ex- 
amples of  this.  A book  could  be  written  on  the 
artistic  strain  running  through  all  Chinese  litera- 


ture  that  seems  to  prove  China  the  most  truly 
poetical  country  in  the  world. 

Although  the  adventures  of  Little  Small-Feet 
are  imaginary,  many  of  the  incidents  related 
were  described  to  the  author,  wrho  treasured  up 
these  events  and  wove  them  into  one  complete 
narrative.  In  China  the  occurrence  that  sounds 
the  most  improbable  is  the  one  of  all  others  that 
is  most  apt  to  be  true.  In  closing  the  writer 
would  like  to  pay  a tribute  to  Dr.  Ida  Kahn,  Dr. 
Mary  Stone,  and  many  other  Chinese  wroinen 
who  are  to-day  the  hope  of  their  country  in  the 
self-denying,  constructive  wrork  which  they  are 
doing.  If  anyone  puts  down  this  volume  with  a 
doubt  as  to  the  delightful,  sterling  qualities  of  the 
average  Chinese  man  or  woman,  this  book  has 
failed  to  reflect  the  author’s  real  feeling  and  pur- 
pose. She  has  endeavored  in  all  that  she  has 
written  to  keep  before  her  the  ideals  of  one  very 
near  and  dear  who  willingly  laid  down  his  own 
life  that  China  might  have  light. 

February  1,  1922.  J.  C.  C. 


VI 


ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 


IN  publishing  this  story  the  author  wishes  to 
acknowledge  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Isaac  Taylor 
Headland,  who  has  allowed  her  to  quote  in  full 
the  poem,  “Little  Small-Feet,”  from  his  “Chi- 
nese Mother  Goose  Rhymes.”  Gratitude  is  also 
due  to  Dr.  Headland  for  the  material  on  Chinese 
training  from  his  book,  “Home  Life  in  China,” 
of  which  it  may  be  said  that  there  is  no  more 
amusing  or  instructive  book  on  Chinese  family 
life  and  education.  His  book  on  “Court  Life  in 
China”  is  a veritable  classic  on  the  subject  and 
has  been  freely  referred  to  in  regard  to  funeral 
rites  and  ceremonies.  Grateful  acknowledgment 
is  made  of  the  courtesy  of  the  publishers,  Fred- 
erick A.  Stokes  Company,  in  granting  permis- 
sion to  use,  at  the  beginning  of  many  of  the  chap- 
ters, lines  from  the  poem  by  Alfred  Noyes,  “The 
Flower  of  Old  Japan.”  The  name,  “Creeping 
Sin,”  was  suggested  by  the  character  of  that 
name  in  the  same  poem.  Some  of  the  photo- 
graphs used  are  published  in  Shanghai  by  A.  S. 


Watson  and  Company,  and  were  taken  by  D. 
Mennie.  Mr.  Mennie’s  artistic  photographs  of 
China  are  a joy  to  all  those  who  know  the 
picturesque  bits  of  the  “The  Flowery  King- 
dom,” or,  rather,  “The  Flowery  Republic.” 
Acknowledgment  is  also  given  to  T.  Hobbie  for 
the  use  of  a photograph. 


viii 


CONTENTS 


PAQB 

Introduction v 

I  The  Bells  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  ...  1 

II  Creeping  Sin 22 

III  In  the  Spider’s  Den 36 

IV  The  City  That  Lies  in  the  Shadow  of 

Purple  Mountain 53 

V  When  Violets  Came  Again 74 

VI  Where  the  Hills  Were  Blue  ....  92 

VII  Was  It  Creeping  Sin? 112 

VIII  Little  Small-Feet  Takes  a Journey  . 131 
IX  The  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  . . .154 

X  The  Deadly  Pestilence  176 

XI  “The  Terror  by  Night” 196 

XII  The  Fearsome  Caverns 218 

XIII  Lord  Chang  Eats  Bitterness  ....  241 

XIV  “The  Old  Order  Changeth”  ....  255 

XV  A City  Where  Dreams  Come  True  . . 277 


IX 


CHAPTER  I 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 

O,  many  a milk-white  pigeon  roams 
The  purple  cherry  crops. 

The  mottled  miles  of  pearly  domes. 

And  blue  pagoda  tops. 

The  river  with  its  golden  canes 
And  dark  piratic  dhows. 

To  where  beyond  the  twisting  vanes 
The  burning  mountain  glows. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 


THE  clusters  of  plum  and  cherry  trees  that 
covered  the  slopes  of  the  little  hills  were  a 
sea  of  bloom;  Spring’s  dainty  finger  tips  had  run 
softly  down  each  tender  twig  and  tapering 
branch,  and  when  she  raised  her  hands,  behold,  in 
every  place  that  she  had  touched  there  shone  a 
blossom.  Her  little  breezes,  too,  had  played 
around  the  pomegranate  thickets  and  turned 
them  a deep  red,  and  then  had  wandered  away  to 
tease  the  junks  upon  the  river,  at  one  moment 
blowing  great  gusts  and  the  next  leaving  their 
sails  hanging  dejected  and  empty.  These  pranks 


1 


2 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


were  wanton  mischief,  for  the  truants  knew  very- 
well  that  at  this  hour  they  were  due  at  the  old 
pagoda,  to  ring  the  faiiy  bells  that  hung  from  its 
carved  balconies,  and  thus  assure  the  anxious 
mothers  who  dwelt  in  the  great  walled  city  that 
the  evil  spirits  were  being  frightened  away  and 
that  their  children  would  come  to  no  harm. 

Early  in  the  morning,  gentle  Spring  had 
warned  the  madcap  breezes  to  be  on  the  alert, 
and  never  to  drift  far  away,  for  when  green 
things  were  growing  there  was  danger  of  spells 
and  witchcraft  and  what  was  the  use  of  building 
a pagoda  on  enchanted  ground,  if  the  bells  were 
not  kept  constantly  tinkling? 

Certainly  everything  was  auspicious  so  far  as 
time  and  weather  were  concerned  and  yet  there 
was  trouble  in  the  noble  family  of  Chang.  Could 
it  possibly  be  that  the  little  breezes  were  to 
blame?  Old  Wang  Dab  Mali,  the  amah,  always 
maintained  that  if  the  pagoda  bells  had  rung  at 
the  moment  when  Little  Small-Feet  was  born, 
the  baby  would  have  been  the  much  desired  son, 
instead  of  a third  unwelcome  girl. 

Lord  Chang,  the  little  girl’s  father,  was  the 
most  bitterly  disappointed  of  all  the  family.  To 
have  no  heir  to  offer  sacrifices  before  the  family 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


3 


ancestral  tablet  was  worse  than  unfortunate;  it 
was  a calamity.  Nevertheless  he  allowed  no  sign 
of  the  storm  of  rage  that  shook  him  to  appear  on 
his  immobile  features;  he  could  never  forget  the 
dignity  that  befitted  him  as  a gentleman  of  rank. 

“What  use  have  we  for  another  girl?  I shall 
be  ruined  by  all  these  marriage  portions;  we  had 
better  put  her  away,”  he  exclaimed  in  a hard 
voice,  and  at  the  same  time  broke  the  fan  he 
was  holding  into  bits  between  his  long,  slender 
fingers. 

“Ah,  no,  only  the  very’’  poor  should  employ 
those  methods!”  cried  his  wife.  “Give  myT  baby 
to  me.”  Poor  Lady  Chang!  Added  to  her  own 
sorrow  was  the  realization  that  she  was  consid- 
ered at  fault. 

Little  Small-F eet  herself,  cuddled  up  warm  to 
her  mother’s  side,  was  absolutely  oblivious  to  the 
coolness  of  her  reception  to  the  land  of  apricot 
blossoms,  yellow  dragons,  and  blue  pagodas. 

Onlyr  in  the  servant’s  quarters  was  the  matter 
longer  discussed.  Long  ago  the  ever  wily  Lord 
Chang  had  forbidden  mention  of  the  term  “boy” 
in  the  house,  for  fear  that  the  hovering,  malig- 
nant spirits  would  come  to  realize  on  what  his 
hopes  were  builded  and  out  of  sheer  malice  keep 


4 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


the  longed-for  heir  away.  But  now  among  the 
underlings  Wang  Dah  Mali  aired  her  views  very 
freely,  and  all  her  friends  agreed  with  her  that 
the  silence  of  the  pagoda  bells  boded  no  good  to 
anyone. 

“If  only  those  bells  had  rung,  things  would 
be  different  in  these  courts  to-day,”  Wang 
Dah  Mah  would  shake  her  head  and  say.  “No 
one  would  listen  to  me,  however,  but  that  is 
always  the  way — great  people  need  no  advice.” 
Which  was  really  scarcely  fair,  as  Wang  Dah 
Mah  had  never  thought  of  suggesting  such  an 
expedient  until  Little  Small-Feet  diad  uttered 
her  first  cry. 

Under  old  Wang  Dah  Mah’s  blue  cotton  coat 
beat  a warm,  motherly  heart,  and  she  looked  after 
the  little  newcomer’s  welfare  so  carefully  that  the 
baby  throve  like  the  spring  flowers  on  the  moun- 
tain side.  Out  in  the  courtyard,  where  the  flow- 
ering almond  scented  the  air,  by  the  miniature 
pond  where  goldfish  played,  the  faithful  amah 
would  sit  by  the  hour  with  her  charge  in  her  arms, 
croning  nursery  rimes  in  a cracked  falsetto 
voice.  One  song,  above  all  others,  seemed  to 
attract  the  baby’s  attention,  for  she  would  coo 
and  laugh  when  it  was  sung : 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


5 


“The  small-footed  girl 

With  the  sweet  little  smile. 

She  loves  to  eat  sugar 
And  sweets  all  the  while. 

Her  money’s  all  gone 

And  because  she  can’t  buy, 

She  holds  her  small  feet 

While  she  sits  down  to  cry.” 

• 

When  it  was  ended  the  little  one  gurgled  and 
smiled  and,  as  she  grew  older,  tried  to  hold  up 
her  tiny  toes  for  inspection  in  such  a knowing 
manner  that  then  and  there  Wang  Dah  Mah 
began  to  call  her  Little  Small-Feet.  It  made  no 
difference  that  the  baby’s  parents  had  chosen  the 
name  of  Kwan  Yin — Bright  Mercy — as  a pretty 
compliment  to  the  Goddess  of  Mercy;  that  was 
soon  forgotten  and  Little  Small-Feet  the  baby 
became. 

Spring’s  mischievous  breezes  had  swept  the 
last  pink  petal  from  the  plum  and  peach  trees 
and  were  rippling  the  soft,  green  sea  of  rice, 
when  the  first  great  event  happened  in  Little 
Small-Feet’s  life.  One  April  morning  there  was 
a stir  and  bustle  in  the  women’s  court  of  the 
Chang  palace.  Caterers  had  been  busy  for  days 
making  toothsome  dainties,  salting  almonds  and 
watermelon  seeds,  and  sugaring  ginger  and  slices 


6 THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


of  oranges,  not  to  mention  the  weightier  matters 
of  digging  up  long-buried  eggs  from  their  hidden 
stores  and  stewing  shark  fins  and  slimy  sea  slugs, 
in  preparation  for  a formal  feast  that  was  to  cele- 
brate the  day  when  Little  Small-Feet  was  one 
month  old.  The  excitement  had  spread  beyond 
the  walls  of  the  palace  of  the  Changs,  over  curved 
tile  roofs  and  through  circular  doorways,  into 
other  palaces  and  homes,  where  official  wives  and 
ladies  of  high  degree  were  all  busy  making  ready 
to  do  honor  to  the  occasion  by  their  august 
presence.  Seldom  have  been  seen  such  reds  and 
blues,  and  satins  that  would  stand  alone,  stiff 
with  the  most  gorgeous  embroideries.  There 
were  long  chains,  and  rings  and  pins  of  jade,  and 
gay  head  ornaments,  and  tiny,  beautifully  em- 
broidered shoes  that  were  to  adorn  their  “golden 
lilies.”  A feast  at  the  Changs’  was  an  occasion 
indeed  and  not  to  be  entered  into  without  much 
thought  and  many  flutterings. 

For  the  third  time  the  runners  had  been  sent 
out  to  summon  them,  and  now  at  length  the 
guests  knew  that  the  time  of  the  feast  was  truly 
upon  them  and  they  must  go.  So  each  lady, 
supported  by  the  hand  of  a maid,  toddled  on  her 
tiny  feet  to  her  waiting  chair  and  was  duly  as- 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


7 


sisted  to  enter  by  her  attendants.  The  shades 
were  nicely  adjusted  so  that  the  luxurious  pas- 
senger could  see  out,  but  with  care  that  no 
curious  eye  could  peep  in  upon  her,  and  then  the 
order  to  depart  was  given. 

Sedan  chair  after  sedan  chair  of  the  most 
gorgeous  appearance  was  carried  through  the 
wide-open  gates  of  the  Chang  palace.  Little 
Small-Feet’s  mother,  as  gay  as  any  butterfly, 
stood  to  greet  her  guests  at  the  exact  spot  in  the 
court  that  etiquette  demanded  and,  bowing 
deeply,  conducted  them  to  the  reception  room. 
All  was  smiles,  good  cheer,  and  politeness,  though 
somewhere  in  the  background  of  each  lady’s 
mind  ran  the  refrain:  “It  should  have  been  a boy! 
It  should  have  been  a boy!” 

“Such  a fuss  over  the  ‘little  happiness’  of  an 
unwelcome  girl,”  whispered  shrewish  old  Li  Tai 
Tai  to  a neighbor  when  the  hostess  could  not 
hear.  “They  never  would  have  had  this  feast — I 
know  old  Chang  too  well — had  it  not  been  that 
the  presents  more  than  compensate  for  the  cost 
of  the  feast.  He  has  never  wasted  a cash;  every 
one  he  spends  brings  in  two  at  the  very  least.” 
Old  Li  Tai  Tai  had  spoken  truly,  for  Little 
Small-Feet  was  showered  with  gifts,  all  of  them 


8 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


handsome  and  costly.  There  were  solid  silver 
and  gold  ornaments,  embroidered  coats,  and 
many  other  things  too  numerous  to  mention. 

When  everything  was  ready  for  the  ceremony 
Little  Small-F eet  was  divested  of  her  swaddling 
clothes  and  dressed  in  a bright-red  dress,  while 
an  admiring  group  of  ladies  watched  and 
commented. 

“Ah!”  exclaimed  a guest,  “I  think  she  will  be 
very  beautiful.  See  how  tiny  her  hands  and  feet 
are,  and  how  her  eyes  sparkle.” 

“Yes,”  replied  old  Lady  Li,  who  was  wont  to 
take  a gloomy  view  of  things,  and  who  prided 
herself  on  her  knowledge  of  proverbs  and  wise 
saws,  “but  the  saying  is,  ‘The  beautiful  bird  gets 
caged.’  ” 

“That’s  the  reason,  I suppose,”  tittered  a 
pretty  young  wife  in  an  aside  to  another,  “that 
Li  Tai  Tai  is  so  free  to  go  back  and  forth  at  will; 
no  one  would  think  it  worth  while  to  cage  her.” 

Unfortunately  Li  Tai  Tai  heard  this  remark 
and  the  black  scowl  she  gave  threatened  a terrible 
storm,  but  at  this  moment  Little  Small-Feet 
began  to  scream  herself,  which  diverted  the  old 
lady’s  attention.  Thus  far  in  the  ceremony  the 
baby  had  submitted  with  a good  grace,  but  when 


THE  BELLS  OF  TIIE  BLUE  PAGODA 


9 


these  strange  elders  of  hers  started  to  shave  bet- 
head,  she  felt  that  this  was  one  thing  no  self- 
respecting  infant  could  stand,  and  she  objected 
with  the  whole  force  of  her  young  lungs.  If 
Little  Small-Feet  had  arrived  at  years  of  dis- 
cretion she  would  have  realized  how  futile  such  a 
protest  was;  the  heads  of  baby  girls  had  been 
shaved  for  several  thousand  years  and  could  she, 
the  daughter  of  the  great  Lord  Chang,  hope  to 
escape  ? 

Old  Li  Tai  Tai  tried  to  quiet  her  by  tactfully 
singing, 

“We  keep  a dog  to  watch  the  house, 

A pig  is  useful,  too; 

We  keep  a cat  to  catch  a mouse. 

But  what  can  we  do 
With  a girl  like  you?” 

Little  Small-Feet,  as  if  she  realized  that  she 
had  been  insulted,  cried  louder  than  ever  at  this 
noise  and  the  dreadful  grimaces  the  old  lady 
made,  and  refused  to  be  comforted  until  old 
Wang  Dah  Mah  had  given  her  a stick  of  barley 
candy  which  she  peacefully  sucked.  The  shav- 
ing was  then  completed,  and  the  usual  two  tiny 
tufts  of  hair  were  left  on  the  top  of  her  head  to 
guard  against  the  evil  eye. 

At  this  feast,  too,  Little  Small-Feet  was  form- 


10  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


ally  given  the  name  Kwan  Yin.  This  to  be  sure 
was  only  a milk  name,  to  be  changed  later  on  in 
life,  but  in  reality  it  was  used  only  by  Lord 
Chang,  when  he  was  particularly  disagreeable. 
This  happened  frequently  for  he  never  could  be 
brought  to  smile  with  favor  upon  his  youngest 
daughter. 

The  months  rolled  peacefully  by  for  Little 
Small-Feet  in  spite  of  her  father’s  frowns. 
Irises  followed  the  earlier  blossoms,  and  then 
came  the  peonies  with  their  long  satin  petals; 
after  them  came  the  roses,  making  the  courtyard 
a veritable  bower,  and,  when  the  heat  was  most 
intense,  the  lotus  flowers  bloomed  in  the  ponds  of 
the  gardens.  The  courtyards  and  gardens  of  the 
palace  formed  a world  in  itself  beyond  which  the 
women  of  the  family  seldom  strayed,  but  they 
were  content  with  their  gilded  cage. 

The  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  was  situated 
south  of  the  great  river,  among  beautiful  moun- 
tains and  fertile  valleys  with  lovely  groves  of 
bamboo  trees.  Even  in  winter  roses  and  violets 
bloomed,  birds  came  down  from  the  north,  and 
herons,  wild  geese,  and  pheasants  added  to  the 
picturesqueness  of  the  landscape.  The  city  was 
the  birthplace  of  Lord  Chang,  and  whenever  he 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  11 


fell  into  official  disgrace  at  court,  he  would  retire 
thither  until  his  misdeeds  were  forgotten,  or  until 
he  could  buy  his  way  into  some  more  profitable 
employment.  His  family  resided  here  almost 
constantly,  as  his  positions  were  usually  of  short 
duration  and  traveling  took  many  weeks  of  dis- 
comfort and  expense.  At  the  time-  when  Little 
Small-Feet  came,  her  father  was  under  a cloud 
because  of  some  very  shady  transactions  as  gov- 
ernor of  a province;  these  things  were  not  done 
“in  a corner”  and  the  long-suffering  people 
finally  arose  in  their  wrath  and  demanded  his 
removal.  All  this  had  certainly  not  helped  Lord 
Chang’s  disposition,  and  to  soften  his  disappoint- 
ment over  these  misfortunes  he  resorted  to  his  old 
friend,  the  opium  pipe. 

The  family  enjoyed  their  home  much  better 
when  official  business  called  the  gentleman  of  the 
household  away.  But  for  the  first  years  of 
Little  Small-Feet’s  existence  he  was  constantly 
at  home.  The  baby  could  not  understand  why 
he  was  the  only  one  of  the  household  from  whom 
she  could  never  win  a smile,  but  it  did  not 
trouble  her  very  much  so  long  as  all  the  rest  of 
the  world  responded  so  eagerly. 

Before  the  lotus  blossoms  began  to  fade  on 


12  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


their  long  stems  and  the  rice  was  garnered  in 
from  the  hillside.  Little  Small-Feet  had  learned 
some  very  interesting  things ; one  was  that  if  she 
screamed  long  enough,  doubled  up  her  fists  hard 
enough,  and  grew  red  enough  in  the  face,  she 
could  have  almost  any  mortal  thing  she  wanted. 
Having  learned  these  facts  she  very  seldom  failed 
to  put  the  knowledge  into  use,  and  if  it  had  not 
been  for  the  natural  sweetness  of  her  disposi- 
tion, she  would  have  been  terribly  spoiled  in  a 
few  years.  Old  Wang  Dah  Mah  aided  and 
abetted  these  practices  for  she  was  never  known 
to  refuse  the  child  any  desire. 

“Little  Small-Feet  wanted  it,”  was  surely 
excuse  enough. 

At  other  times  the  baby  would  be  smiling  and 
winsome,  her  black  eyes  snapping,  and  she  always 
had  a gleeful  laugh  for  anyone  who  played  with 
her.  When  Wang  Dah  Mah  dressed  her  in  a 
bright-blue  silk  coat  with  little  green  trousers  and 
hat  and  shoes  embroidered  in  butterflies,  she  was 
such  an  entirely  adorable  infant  that  the  little 
breezes  could  scarcely  be  persuaded  to  play  any- 
where but  in  the  Changs’  courtyard.  They  would 
blow  softly  over  the  poppies  and  the  lotus  ponds, 
making  the  flowers  dance  and  bow  just  for  the 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  13 


sake  of  hearing  Little  Small-Feet  shout  and 
clap  her  hands  with  glee,  and  of  course  they 
forgot  entirely  that  the  pagoda  bells  were  hang- 
ing silent  and  that  every  mother’s  heart  in  the 
city  was  beating  anxiously. 

One  day,  however,  when  Little  Small-Feet  was 
two  years  old,  gentle  Spring  made  a great  dis- 
covery. In  the  corner  of  the  Changs’  garden,  on 
a hill  which  overlooked  the  city  wall,  the  river, 
and  the  pagoda,  was  a beautiful  tiled  pavilion. 
Among  all  the  haunts  in  the  garden,  the  baby 
liked  this  spot  the  best,  because  from  it  she  could 
watch  the  stately  junks  with  their  fanlike  sails, 
the  pranks  of  the  little  breezes,  and  last  but  not 
least  the  blue  pagoda,  which  she  liked  far  better 
than  anything  she  had  ever  played  with;  there 
were  numberless  stormy  scenes  because  Wang 
Dah  Mah  would  not  give  it  to  her  as  a toy. 

Now  gentle  Spring  discovered  that  Little 
Small-Feet  fairly  screamed  with  delight  when- 
ever she  heard  the  music  of  the  pagoda  bells,  so 
of  course  the  friendly  dame  imparted  the  good 
news  to  her  breezes  and  from  that  day  forward 
the  pagoda  bells  were  ringing  constantly. 

Sad  to  confess,  Little  Small-Feet  was  very 
slow  in  learning  to  walk;  it  was  so  much  easier 


14  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


to  be  carried  around  in  the  arms  of  the  faithful 
Wang  Dah  Mah  that  probably  she  would  never 
have  attempted  to  use  her  own  small  feet  had  it 
not  been  for  the  delightful  games  which  she  saw 
her  two  older  sisters  playing.  After  watching 
them  and  their  companions  sitting  in  a circle, 
with  their  hands  together  in  a fascinating  game 
called  “water  the  flowers,”  or  happy  over  “flower 
seller,”  she  wanted  to  join  them,  and  at  length 
she  began  to  stand  alone.  And  very  soon  her 
toddling  steps  led  her  into  much  mischief. 

Slowly  Little  Small-Feet  grew  out  of  baby- 
hood to  girlhood,  and  all  the  time  she  was  absorb- 
ing and  learning,  but  not  from  books,  for  Wang 
Dah  Mah  was  her  chief  teacher  and  she  did  not 
know  the  character  for  “man”  from  the  character 
for  “happiness.”  The  amah  taught  her  charge 
other  things,  however,  such  as  respect  to  parents, 
how  to  bow  to  ladies  who  came  to  visit  her 
mother,  and  countless  polite  sayings  which  it  is 
necessary  for  girls  of  high  rank  to  know.  She 
was  taught  that  the  harm  in  lying  lies  in  being 
found  out,  and  to  be  careful  never  “to  lose  one’s 
face.”  All  these  things  the  pupil  picked  up  only 
too  quickly.  One  point  was  often  discussed  be- 
tween them,  and  that  was  about  the  pagoda; 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  15 


Little  Small-Feet  wished  to  go  there  but  for  once 
Wang  Dah  Mali  absolutely  refused  to  take  her; 
instead  she  tried  to  frighten  her  out  of  her  desire 
by  horrid  tales  of  evil  spirits  and  demons.  Wang 
Dah  Mah  absolutely  believed  these  tales  herself, 
and  nothing  would  have  induced  her  to  visit  the 
haunted  ground  on  which  the  pagoda  stood. 

One  beautiful  autumn  day  wrhen  Little  Small- 
Feet  wras  four  and  a half  years  old,  she  sat  in  the 
pavilion,  listening  to  the  pagoda  bells,  and  watch- 
ing a flock  of  wild  geese  arriving  from  the  north 
for  the  winter.  An  overmastering  longing  to  see 
that  beautiful  blue  tower  nearer  at  hand  came 
over  her;  she  must  know  howr  the  bells  sounded 
outside  the  city  wall.  Her  heart  began  to  beat 
wildly.  Should  she  run  away  to  the  pagoda  just 
for  a short  time?  No  one  would  miss  her. 
Clutching  a little  toy  she  was  playing  with  tightly 
in  her  hand,  she  slipped  down  to  the  other  end  of 
the  garden,  through  the  reception  room  where 
her  father  received  his  guests,  through  another 
court  and  still  another.  F or  once  the  usual  well- 
thronged  house  was  empty;  stranger  yet,  when 
she  arrived  at  the  great  entrance  gates,  they  stood 
a little  ajar.  On  reaching  the  street  she  saw  the 
reason  for  all  this  lack  of  runners  and  attendants ; 


16  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


half  a block  away  a group  of  strolling  players 
were  performing,  and  all  the  available  popula- 
tion were  gathered  around  intent  on  watching  the 
actors. 

Now  that  the  moment  of  freedom  had  come, 
Little  Small-Feet  was  rather  embarrassed  to 
know  what  to  do;  but  as  all  her  acquaintances 
were  on  one  end  of  the  street,  instinct  told  her  to 
turn  the  other  way.  Never  before  had  she  been 
on  this  path  alone,  or  on  foot,  and  the  sensation 
was  truly  novel.  The  shops,  the  street  signs,  and 
the  vendors  were  most  fascinating,  and  she  often 
stopped  to  look  and  listen.  The  thought  of  the 
pagoda,  however,  drew  her  ever  forward,  and  by 
sheer  chance  she  took  the  few  turns  that  led  her 
to  the  great  city  gates  set  in  the  massive  walls. 
This  place  was  truly  alarming,  for  beasts  of 
burden,  carts,  and  wheelbarrows  were  passing  in 
and  out  in  an  unbroken  stream.  Little  Small- 
Feet  shrank  back,  thoroughly  frightened,  and 
was  just  in  the  act  of  turning  and  trotting  home, 
when  through  the  arch,  a half  mile  or  so  away, 
she  caught  sight  of  the  pagoda.  Her  courage 
and  resolution  returned,  and  keeping  close  to  the 
wall,  she  slipped  through  the  traffic  and  started 
out  toward  the  alluring  landmark. 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  17 


By  the  time  the  last  step  to  the  pagoda  was 
taken,  Little  Small-Feet  was  weary  enough,  and 
climbing  up  two  flights  of  the  steep  stairs  to  the 
corner  of  the  carved  balcony,  she  curled  up  in  a 
heap  to  listen  to  the  bells  and  enjoy  the  sight  of 
a fleet  of  beautiful  ships  in  the  river.  The 
breezes  must  have  realized  that  they  had  a guest 
that  day,  for  they  swung  the  bells  back  and  forth 
with  a will  and  to  the  sound  of  their  silver  tones 
she  fell  fast  asleep. 

Suddenly,  much  later,  the  wanderer  awoke 
with  a shiver  to  find  that  night  was  coming  on 
with  swift,  noiseless  tread,  and  out  of  the  dark, 
in  the  chamber  of  the  pagoda,  she  saw  two  bright, 
cruel  eyes  watching  her.  The  child  started  for- 
ward with  a shiver  of  terror.  She  must  go  home, 
and  to  do  so  she  had  to  pass  those  never-winking 
eyes.  All  the  stories  of  demons  and  evil  spirits 
which  Wang  Dah  Mah  had  told  flashed  into  her 
mind.  What  should  she  do?  If  she  was  to  get 
into  the  city  before  the  gates  were  shut,  she  must 
start  at  once.  With  a mighty  effort  of  will,  the 
child  ran  into  the  room,  past  the  gleaming  eyes 
and  down  the  two  flights  of  stairs,  hearing  soft 
footsteps  following  her,  accompanied  by  low 
snarls  and  growls.  This  gave  wrings  to  her  feet 


18  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


and,  never  heeding  what  direction  she  took,  she 
ran  as  fast  as  possible  toward  the  city  wall. 
Unfortunately  poor  Little  Small-Feet  in  her 
terror  took  a road  leading  to  another  gate  farther 
down  toward  the  city,  and  this  mistake  changed 
all  the  course  of  her  future  existence.  Where 
were  the  little  breezes  now,  and  what  kind  of 
friends  were  they,  to  desert  her  in  her  hour  of 
need?  And  all  the  time  during  the  little  girl’s 
flight  the  horrid  dog  followed,  yapping  and 
snarling.  The  breezes  might  have  learned  a 
lesson  from  his  constancy. 

As  Little  Small-Feet  approached  the  city  she 
came  up  to  a group  of  itinerating  beggars  who 
were  going  in  the  same  direction.  On  catching 
sight  of  this  beautifully  dressed  child  they  turned 
at  once  and  surrounded  her.  With  rough  voices 
and  coarse  oaths  they  spoke  to  her;  too  frightened 
to  reply,  she  tried  to  hurry  on.  It  was  useless; 
dirty  hands  clutched  and  pulled  her,  and  she  was 
immediately  threatened  by  a quarreling  mob, 
more  like  a pack  of  dogs  than  human  beings. 
One  shrewish  crone  was  the  leader,  and  as  the 
band  seemed  about  to  pull  the  poor  child  to 
pieces,  the  hag  interfered : 

“What  stupidity  is  this ; shall  we  obtain  money 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  19 


for  these  gay  clothes  if  we  tear  them  all  to  rags? 
They  are  worth  several  taels  at  the  very  least. 
We  will  take  her  and  hide  her  for  a ransom, 
which  will  come  to  more  than  a thousand  suits 
such  as  this.” 

“Yes,  Old  Scarred  Face,  and  never  a cash  of 
it  shall  we  see,  for  you  and  Creeping  Sin  will 
pocket  it  all;  ‘spilt  water  cannot  be  gathered  up 
again’;  let  each  take  something  now;  I for  one 
will  have  the  coat.” 

At  the  name  of  Creeping  Sin,  Old  Scarred 
Face  turned  livid  with  fear  and  rage.  Had  the 
connection  between  them  been  discovered?  If  so, 
a great  chance  for  their  profit  was  gone.  “You 
cow,”  she  raged,  “if  you  all  get  fighting  over  the 
garments  there  won’t  be  a thread  to  take  to  the 
pawnbroker’s  to  sell ; you  know  that  without  my 
help  you  would  be  in  prison  to-day,  instead  of  the 
most  prosperous  band  of  beggars  on  this  side  of 
the  Yang-tse-Kiang.  I shall  leave  you  all  to 
make  what  you  can  without  me,”  and  she  started 
to  go. 

Knowing  that  she  spoke  the  truth,  they  would 
not  let  her  go,  but  said  that  they  would  follow 
her  advice.  Thereupon  she  put  the  poor,  terror- 
stricken  Little  Small-Feet  in  their  midst,  where 


20  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


she  would  be  unobserved  by  passers-by,  and  hur- 
ried the  party  along  to  a group  of  dirty  mat-shed 
hovels  huddled  at  the  base  of  the  city  walls.  In 
this  particular  vicinity  there  were  thousands  of 
these  huts,  and  he  would  be  a brave  man  indeed 
who  would  dare  to  enter  this  district  and  search 
for  anyone. 

In  all  that  vast  city  no  heart  was  so  desolate  as 
Little  Small-Feet’s;  instead  of  the  rich  fare  of 
the  palace,  the  dirty  rice  from  a beggar’s  bowl 
was  to  be  her  portion.  She  could  not  even  cry  for 
Old  Scarred  Face  told  her  that  she  would  tear 
her  limb  from  limb  if  she  shed  but  one  tear,  and 
Little  Small-Feet  realized  that  silence  was  a 
necessity.  No  rich  bed  was  her  pallet  but  a bun- 
dle of  loathsome  straw,  and  worst  of  all  there  was 
no  doting  Wang  Dah  Mah  to  comfort  her  and 
quiet  her  fears.  Surely  her  old  amah  had  been 
right  when  she  had  told  her  charge  that  the  blue 
pagoda  was  an  ill  place  to  seek. 

Little  breezes,  little  breezes,  you  may  well  ring 
the  pagoda  bells  softly  and  sadly  as  if  for  a 
passing  soul,  for  henceforward  you  will  seek  in 
vain  for  a playmate  in  the  winding  paths  of  the 
garden  or  by  the  pool  of  goldfish.  No  childish 
hands  will  be  clapped  in  glee  at  the  dancing  pop- 


THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  21 


pies  and  waving  fields  of  rice  for  Little  Small- 
Feet  has  turned  into  a somber  highway,  the  road 
of  tears  and  sorrow,  the  road  down  which  many 
tiny,  childish  feet  have  trod  and  very  few  re- 
turned, the  road  to  beggar  land. 


CHAPTER  II 


CREEPING  SIN 


Because  the  white-faced  mandarin 
Would  dog  our  steps  for  many  a mile, 

And  sit  upon  each  purple  stile 
Before  we  came  to  it,  and  smile 
And  smile;  his  name  was  Creeping  Sin. 

His  grin  was  very  sleek  and  sly : 

Timidly  we  passed  him  by. 

He  did  not  seem  at  all  to  care: 

So,  thinking  we  were  safely  past. 

We  ventured  to  look  back  at  last. 

O,  dreadful  blank ! — He  was  not  there ! 

— Alfred  Noyes. 


HAT  night  the  sun  dropped  suddenly  to 


rest  in  a heavy  bank  of  gray  clouds,  and  soon 
a violent  wind  arose,  far  different  from  the  soft 
breath  of  the  little  breezes,  and  shrieked  like  a 
wolf  through  the  streets  of  the  city,  tearing  down 
signs  and  scattering  loose  tiles  in  every  direction. 
Like  frightened  birds,  the  junks  upon  the  river 
scurried  into  shelter,  and  the  high  waves  beating 
against  the  shore  threatened  to  sink  them  as  they 
lay  at  anchor. 

Late  in  the  evening  the  rain  began  to  fall  in 


22 


CREEPING  SIN 


23 


torrents,  so  that  the  frail  walls  of  the  hut  where 
Little  Small-Feet  lay  were  nearly  washed  away. 
The  water  ran  in  a stream  under  the  straw  on 
which  she  slept,  and  the  wind’s  wild  wail  was  a 
startling  contrast  to  Wang  Dali  Mali’s  crooning 
cradle  song.  It  was  no  wonder  that  the  lost  one 
awakened  from  her  troubled  sleep  screaming  with 
fear.  Fortunately  for  her,  her  jailers  slept 
soundly,  for  had  she  aroused  them,  a speedy 
retribution  would  have  followed. 

Old  Scarred  Face  had  left  the  hut  some  hours 
before,  putting  the  child  under  the  custody  of  the 
other  mendicants,  while  with  crafty  intent  she 
turned  her  footsteps  cityward.  The  great  city 
gates  were  about  to  swing  to  for  the  night,  when 
she  pushed  her  way  boldly  through,  along  with  a 
score  of  other  belated  travelers.  She  resembled 
nothing  so  much  as  an  animated  scarecrow : as  she 
strode  along  with  her  staff  in  one  hand,  her  beg- 
gar’s bowl  in  the  other,  and  her  little  mongrel  cur 
following  at  her  heels,  but  she  attracted  no  par- 
ticular attention  as  there  were  many  other  such 
figures  roaming  the  streets.  Already  the  wind 
had  begun  to  moan  and  passers-by  were  hurrying 
home  to  shelter  before  the  rain  should  fall,  but 
unconscious  of  wind  and  weather  the  woman 


24  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


plied  her  trade,  holding  out  her  bowl  with  a de- 
testable wThine,  which  arose  into  a curse  when  she 
asked  in  vain.  All  the  time  her  senses  wrere  on 
the  alert  to  pick  up  fragments  of  gossip  that 
might  give  her  some  clue  to  the  identity  of  Little 
Small-F  eet. 

Wayfarers  were  in  far  too  much  of  a hurry, 
however,  on  this  stormy  evening,  to  stay  and 
retail  news.  There  was  no  cluster  of  idlers  in 
front  of  the  tea  shops  or  at  the  corners,  and  she 
dared  not  stop  pedestrians  and  ask  them  ques- 
tions for  fear  of  arousing  suspicions,  so  she  was 
forced  to  content  herself  by  reviling  them  in  her 
heart  with  many  fearful  oaths. 

After  an  hour  or  two  of  aimless  wanderings, 
Old  Scarred  Face  came  to  the  part  of  the  town 
where  the  gentry  resided  and  found,  outside  of 
one  of  the  largest  gateways,  an  excited  knot  of 
people.  In  an  indifferent  manner  she  ap- 
proached the  outskirts  of  the  crowd  and  listened 
to  the  discussion.  It  did  not  take  her  long  to 
determine  that  here  was  the  place  to  find  the  in- 
formation she  sought. 

“It’s  Little  Small-Feet,  I say,  Little  Small- 
Feet  and  she  has  been  stolen,  or  else  the  evil 
spirits  have  carried  her  away,”  wailed  a respect- 


CREEPING  SIN 


25 


able-looking  woman,  the  center  of  the  group. 
“They  did  not  have  the  pagoda  bells  rung  at  her 
birth  and  this  is  the  result.  I always  told  them 
how  it  would  end.  She  was  no  ordinary  child, 
and  now  I know  that  she  was  a changeling!”  and 
she  began  to  cry  in  good  earnest. 

These  words  of  Wang  Dah  Mah  made  the 
crowd  feel  that  this  was  a serious  matter  indeed 
and  not  to  be  lightly  discussed.  At  the  words 
“evil  spirits”  each  one  looked  over  his  shoulder 
apprehensively  to  see  that  no  such  ill-omened 
specters  were  lurking  behind  him.  To  Old 
Scarred  Face  the  news  was  honey  and  nectar; 
this  was  at  last  the  intelligence  she  sought. 

“Whose  child  is  lost?”  she  inquired  of  one  of 
the  servants  standing  at  her  elbow. 

“It  is  strange  that  you  should  not  have  heard,” 
he  replied;  “Lord  Chang’s  little  girl  has  been 
stolen  away,  or  perhaps,  as  Wang  Dah  Mah  be- 
lieves, the  spirits  have  carried  her  to  their  own 
country.” 

At  the  name  of  Lord  Chang,  a gleam  appeared 
in  the  eyes  of  Old  Scarred  Face.  Here  was 
booty  indeed! 

“And  what  is  the  reward?”  she  inquired,  a 
shade  too  eagerly. 


26  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


The  man  turned  on  her  with  suspicion:  “No 
reward  at  all,  if  I know  anything  about  the  man. 
But  why  do  you  want  to  know?  I believe  you 
stole  hex  yourself,  you  hag.” 

Old  Scarred  Face  was  in  greater  danger  now 
than  she  had  ever  been  before.  But  just  as  the 
man  started  a hue  and  cry  against  her,  the  rain 
began  to  fall  in  such  torrents  that  all  were  forced 
to  run  for  shelter,  and  in  the  midst  of  the  con- 
fusion the  beggar  woman  disappeared. 

The  cunning  builders  of  the  City  of  the  Blue 
Pagoda  took  no  chances  with  fate,  but  had  care- 
fully laid  out  the  streets  to  foil  the  dread  designs 
of  malicious  spirits.  The  spirits  as  a whole  must 
be  rather  dull,  for  though  they  can  travel  with 
ease  and  swiftness  down  a straight  highway,  they 
are  at  once  bewildered  when  it  comes  to  a curve. 
All  the  thoroughfares,  therefore,  were  planned  to 
curve  and  wind  in  a fashion  that  was  confusing 
to  many  besides  the  crafty  demons. 

It  was  wonderful  how  Old  Scarred  Face  kept 
her  course  in  the  teeth  of  the  gale.  With  as  little 
hesitation  as  a mole  runs  through  the  passages 
and  underground  galleries  of  the  earth,  she 
picked  her  way  down  the  Lane  of  Filial  Piety, 
across  Duck  Street,  and  up  the  Alley  of  Ilappi- 


CREEPING  SIN 


27 


ness,  on  and  on  through  a veritable  labyrinth  of 
lanes  and  alleys,  until  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
maze  she  halted  before  a blank  wall  that  stood  in 
front  of  a gateway.  Here  again  the  plots  of  evil 
spirits  were  to  be  frustrated,  for  with  all  their 
knowledge  of  the  world  and  of  infernal  regions, 
the  wicked  ones  are  unable  to  go  around  such  a 
wall  and  enter  the  house.  In  this  instance,  how- 
ever, the  plan  seemed  to  have  failed,  or  perchance 
the  mischief-makers  had  some  other  mode  of  en- 
trance, for  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  Flowery  Kingdom,  it  would  be  hard  to  find  a 
place  so  full  of  every  form  of  plot  and  evil  design 
as  this  building  before  which  Old  Scarred  Face 
had  stopped. 

The  beggar  woman  did  not  falter  a moment 
but,  going  boldly  up  to  the  gate,  gave  three  short 
raps  and  in  a moment  rapped  again.  It  was 
apparently  a signal,  for  the  gateman  appeared 
immediately,  and  with  no  sign  of  surprise  allowed 
the  woman  to  come  in.  As  she  stood  under  the 
protecting  eaves  of  the  gatehouse  the  vagrant 
gave  herself  a shake  like  a huge  Newfoundland 
puppy  and  drew  a dirty  hand  across  her  eyes  in 
order  to  clear  her  vision  from  raindrops.  No 
greater  contrast  could  be  imagined  than  the 


28  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


ragged,  drenched  mendicant  with  her  yellow  dog 
slinking  at  her  heels  and  the  spacious,  luxurious 
court  she  now  entered.  N ow  and  again,  when  the 
rain  lifted  its  veil,  distant  vistas  of  winding  paths 
and  rockeries  could  be  seen,  with  here  and  there  a 
goldfish  pool,  or  flower  beds  of  gay  chrysanthe- 
mums, while  at  the  other  end  of  the  court  the 
ornate  lines  of  a stately  guest  room  were  visible. 

Old  Scarred  Face  had  no  desire  to  be  shown 
thither,  however,  and  with  a nod  to  the  attendant 
she  slipped  through  a round  archway  that  stood 
on  one  side  of  the  garden,  down  a narrow  stair- 
way, and  by  an  underground  hallway  through  a 
maze  of  rooms  and  larger  apartments.  At  length 
she  came  to  a curiously  wrought  iron  door  that 
seemed  absolutely  soundproof,  and  above  it  hung 
a rope  which  she  pulled  very  slowly.  As  she 
stood  waiting,  a bat  disturbed  by  the  noise 
brushed  her  with  its  wings  as  it  flew  past. 

“Ha!  A bat!  A good  omen!”  she  exclaimed; 
“I  knew  my  luck  had  turned.”  After  a moment 
the  door  opened  a few  inches,  and  an  inquiring 
face  appeared  in  the  aperture;  then  the  door  was 
thrown  back  by  a humpbacked  dwarf  who  leered 
up  into  the  hag’s  face  in  a most  revolting  fashion. 

Poor  Little  Small-Feet,  to  what  a pass  had  she 


CREEPING  SIN 


29 


now  come,  that  her  fortunes  should  be  discussed 
in  such  a den  as  this ! 

Few  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  City  of  the  Blue 
Pagoda  would  have  had  the  hardihood  to  enter 
that  doorway,  but  Old  Scarred  Face  was  un- 
afraid. Two  guttered  candles  and  a charcoal 
brazier  threw  a flickering  light  into  the  center  of 
the  room,  leaving  the  corners  in  darkness ; in  one 
of  these  the  dwarf  gibbered  to  himself,  while 
above  one  could  hear  the  scurrying  feet  of  rats 
made  restless  by  the  storm.  The  walls  and  ceil- 
ings were  draped  in  cobwebs  in  lieu  of  costly 
tapestry,  and  a sickish  odor  of  a powerful  drug 
made  the  smoky  air  still  heavier. 

A man  was  seated  at  a rickety  table,  on  which 
the  two  candlesticks  stood.  At  first  glance  he 
seemed  a strange  inmate  for  such  an  apartment ; 
he  was  clad  in  costly  silks,  his  queue  was  neatly 
plaited,  and  his  shapely  hands  and  long,  carefully 
guarded  nails  all  proclaimed  him  a gentleman. 
A single  look,  however,  at  his  masklike  face  and 
crafty  eyes  was  enough  to  awaken  in  the  observer 
suspicion  and  dislike.  He  did  not  move  when 
Old  Scarred  Face  entered,  but  allowed  her  to 
remain  unnoticed  for  several  minutes. 

“Well,  what  do  you  want  here?”  he  finally 


30  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


drawled  while  he  looked  her  up  and  down  with  an 
insufferable  smile. 

Ah!  be  careful,  Creeping  Sin,  for  Old  Scarred 
Face  holds  trump  cards  to-night,  and  she 
knows  it! 

“It  is  nothing,”  she  answered  and  turned  to  go. 

The  man  perceived  his  mistake  and  called  her 
back  with  the  inquiry,  “Have  you  eaten  rice 
to-night?” 

“Eaten  rice!  Where  could  a woman  find  rice 
a night  like  this?  Can  it  grow  in  streets  ankle 
deep  in  water?” 

Creeping  Sin  thereupon  ordered  the  dwarf, 
who  had  just  enough  intelligence  to  understand 
his  commands,  to  go  and  fill  her  bowl  in  the 
kitchen. 

“What  is  the  news  of  the  road  and  the  great 
game?”  asked  the  man  with  the  same  sly  smile. 
“Did  the  last  consignment  of  flowers  reach  the 
City  on  the  Sea  in  safety?” 

“All  but  two  of  the  imbeciles,  and  they  the 
most  handsome!  The  silly  girls  preferred  the 
river  for  a bed,  and  threw  themselves  in  when  I 
was  not  looking.  One  cannot  be  everywhere  at 
once,”  growled  the  woman.  “I  only  made  a 
paltry  shoe  or  two  on  the  whole  transaction,  and 


CREEPING  SIN 


31 


look  at  the  risk  I ran.  I shall  not  dare  show 
myself  at  the  North  Capital  for  many  a long 
day.” 

“Never  do  what  you  would  not  have  known,” 
replied  her  host  unctuously. 

The  woman’s  temper  had  gradually  been  ris- 
ing. “That  is  too  much  from  you!  You  whom 
we  all  call  Creeping  Sin!  You  who  sit  like  a 
great,  fat  spider  in  his  den,  weaving  a web  to 
catch  flies  and  moths  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the 
Middle  Kingdom!  They  say  you  even  have  mes- 
sengers in  foreign  lands,  and  send  these  slaves  to 
the  City  by  the  Golden  Gate.  Is  it  true?  Is  it 
true?”  and  her  voice  rose  to  a perfect  scream. 

Alarmed  by  her  violence  Creeping  Sin  changed 
his  tactics.  “Some  day  I will  tell  you,  and  you 
will  perhaps  unite  in  a game  of  even  greater 
profit,  but  just  now  I have  some  news  of  some 
country  girls  whom  we  might  easily  kidnap.” 

“Why  do  you  say  ‘we’  when  you  mean  me?  I 
take  all  the  danger  and  hardships  of  the  business, 
while  you  live  in  luxury  and  ease  and  will  not  so 
much  as  allow  me  to  enter  your  palace.  Instead 
you  bring  me  to  this  cavern,  and  I am  not  good 
enough  to  go  in  at  your  front  gate.  I did  to- 
night, however,  and  will  whenever  I choose!” 


32  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Creeping  Sin  turned  a shade  darker,  and  a 
malignant  look  replaced  the  crafty  smile.  “You 
may  use  the  road  at  your  pleasure,  but  it  will  not 
be  for  long,  for  I know  of  a certainty  that  the 
gate  is  marked,  and  your  comings  and  goings 
will  be  watched  with  interest  by  eyes  that  will 
have  to  be  heavily  bought  to  keep  them  closed. 
Lord  Chang  has  nothing  to  do  and  he  is  on  the 
alert  for  even  very  small,  skinny  fish.  As  for  my 
living  in  luxury,  it  is  widely  reported  that  your 
wealth  far  exceeds  my  little  savings,  and  when- 
ever you  wish  to  dig  it  out  of  those  caves  in  which 
you  have  it  hidden,  you  are  your  own  mistress, 
and  can  do  it.  If,  as  you  choose  to  imply,  my 
reputation  is  not  above  reproach,  how  about  your 
own?  Remember,  I could  reveal  a great  deal, 
and  if  you  continue  as  you  have  begun,  it  will 
take  many  shoes  to  keep  me  quiet.” 

This  threat  sobered  Old  Scarred  Face  and  the 
beggar’s  whine  returned  to  her  tone.  “Everyone 
knows  that  ‘tigers  and  deer  do  not  stroll  to- 
gether,’ so  it  is  safest  for  us  both  to  hold  our 
peace.  The  front  gate  was  unwatched  to-night; 
no  one  was  on  the  street.  I did  not  even  hear  the 
watchman’s  drum  that  warns  thieves  not  to  steal 
and  rob  because  he  is  on  the  alert.  But  I have 


CREEPING  SIN 


33 


come  with  good  tidings  and  we  are  wasting 
precious  time.  Guess  whom  I now  have  in  my 
toils;  nay,  I will  tell  you  for  it  is  too  good  to 
keep.  Lord  Chang  himself,  and  no  other!  At 
last  he  shall  rue  having  cast  me  into  prison,  and 
the  sum  I paid  to  go  free  he  shall  repay  a 
thousandfold!”  At  the  thought  of  her  enemy 
Old  Scarred  Face  reviled  most  horribly. 

Creeping  Sin  waited  until  her  paroxysm  had 
passed,  and  sat  very  much  like  a wise  spider 
gloating  over  its  victim.  In  his  innermost  heart 
he  knew  that  the  only  way  to  rid  himself  of  this 
accomplice  and  all  that  she  knew  of  his  plans, 
was  to  kill  her,  and  at  present  she  was  too  useful 
for  him  to  contemplate  such  a course.  Therefore 
he  humored  her,  and  egged  her  on,  but  all  the 
time  he  mentally  added  up  the  score  he  had 
against  her,  to  be  paid  with  interest  when  the  day 
of  reckoning  came. 

After  a moment  or  two,  Old  Scarred  Face  re- 
covered enough  to  tell  the  story  of  Little  Small- 
Feet.  As  Creeping  Sin  listened,  he  allowed  no 
sign  of  pleasure  to  disturb  his  masklike  counte- 
nance, although  inwardly  he  exulted  over  the 
happy  chance  that  had  thrown  his  archenemy, 
Lord  Chang,  into  his  power. 


34  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“You  say  you  will  not  take  less  than  twenty 
thousand  taels  by  way  of  reward?”  said  Creeping 
Sin.  “How  do  you  expect  to  get  it?  You  can- 
not treat  with  the  man  himself ; you  would  rest 
twenty  years  in  jail  if  you  attempted  it.  I see 
your  scheme ; you  want  me  to  play  the  middleman 
and  go-between ; but  it  will  take  many  middlemen 
to  lay  this  before  the  father,  and  the  cost  will  be 
heavy.  I will  attempt  it  only  upon  condition  of 
reaping  two  thirds  of  the  ransom.” 

“Two  thirds  of  the  ransom!  Hear  him,  hear 
him!”  the  woman  shrieked.  “The  brigand,  the 
pirate,  robber  of  poor  starving  widows,  and  of 
the  virtuous!  Goddess  of  Mercy,  hear  and 
avenge  the  helpless !” 

The  battle  raged  almost  the  whole  night 
through,  but  at  length  toward  morning  the 
worthy  pair  came  to  an  understanding,  one  that 
they  had  known  in  the  beginning  would  be  the 
final  arrangement.  The  profits  were  to  be 
divided  between  them  and  until  the  negotiations 
could  be  successfully  completed,  Little  Small- 
Feet  was  to  be  placed  under  the  care  of  Creeping 
Sin.  Old  Scarred  Face  was  very  suspicious  of 
this  arrangement  but  was  forced  to  comply  be- 
cause the  man  refused  to  consider  any  other  plan. 


CREEPING  SIN 


35 


“You  know  full  well  that  you  will  starve  her 
if  you  keep  her,”  he  insisted.  “You  never  yet 
have  fed  anyone  enough  to  keep  body  and  soul 
together,  not  even  yourself,  and  if  we  return  the 
child  badly  treated,  we  are  likely  to  run  into 
danger.” 

When  Old  Scarred  Face  had  consented  to  this 
arrangement,  and  had  promised  to  bring  Little 
Small-Feet  the  following  evening  to  the  Spider’s 
den,  Creeping  Sin  withdrew  to  his  luxurious 
quarters  above  ground,  leaving  the  woman  to 
make  herself  as  comfortable  as  possible  where 
she  was,  for  she  could  not  go  from  the  city  until 
the  gates  were  opened  in  the  morning. 

Thus  was  Little  Small-Feet’s  fate  decided  by 
these  crafty  and  cruel  conspirators,  who  never 
showed  their  victims  any  pity,  and  who  never 
expected  to  receive  compassion  should  they  them- 
selves be  caught  in  the  toils.  Was  it  an  omen  of 
the  future  that  the  soft,  friendly  breezes  of  the 
summer  had  fled  before  the  shrill,  shrieking  blast 
of  typhoon  and  of  storm?  Or  could  Kwan  Yin 
have  taken  this  full  revenge  on  the  helpless  one 
who,  through  no  fault  of  her  own,  had  discarded 
the  goddess’  name? 


CHAPTER  III 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 

He  played  with  children’s  beating  hearts. 

And  stuck  them  full  of  poisoned  darts 

And  long  green  thorns  that  stabbed  and  stung ; 
He’d  watch  until  we  tried  to  speak, 

Then  thrust  inside  his  pasty  cheek 
His  long,  white,  slimy  tongue: 

And  smile  at  everything  we  said ; 

And  sometimes  pat  us  on  the  head. 

And  say  that  we  were  very  young. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 

THE  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  no  longer  lay 
smiling  under  the  caresses  of  gentle  Spring 
or  shimmering  in  the  heat  of  an  August  sun. 
The  dreams  that  lay  in  the  hearts  of  the  poppies 
had  all  been  gathered  by  eager,  clutching  fingers, 
and  the  last  crop  of  rice  lay  on  the  threshing 
floor.  The  pagoda  itself,  which  stood  as  sentinel 
over  the  fears  of  the  mothers  of  little  children, 
had  surely  forgotten  the  purpose  for  which  it 
was  erected,  for  from  the  mountains  back  of  the 
river  wild  animals  descended  upon  the  town  with 
shrieks  that  sounded  like  souls  in  torment.  All 
the  demons  that  lurked  in  cavern  and  grotto 

36 


i 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


37 


seemed  to  be  at  large,  wailing  over  roofs  and 
twisting  their  way  mercilessly  down  crooked 
streets  that  had  been  so  craftily  planned  to  pre- 
vent their  entrance.  At  moments  there  would 
come  a lull  in  the  tempest  and  the  inhabitants 
would  draw  a sigh  of  relief,  thinking  that  their 
tormentors  had  retreated  to  their  mountain 
caves,  when  a blast  still  more  alarming  would 
shake  the  pagoda  to  its  very  foundations  and 
threaten  to  lay  the  city  in  ruins. 

Throughout  the  raging  of  the  tempest,  Lady 
Chang  and  Wang  Dah  Mah  were  beside  them- 
selves with  fear  for  the  fate  of  their  darling. 
Wang  Dah  Mah  had  to  be  restrained  almost  by 
force  from  roaming  the  streets  in  search  of  Little 
Small-Feet,  wdiile  Lady  Chang,  regardless  of 
wind  and  rain,  ran  up  and  down  the  garden  paths 
and  peered  anxiously  into  the  goldfish  ponds  and 
into  every  summer  house,  in  the  vain  hope  that 
her  child  might  be  found  hidden  in  some  corner. 
The  search  continued  long  after  the  storm  had 
abated  and  the  sun  had  returned  to  shine  on  the 
ravages  of  the  typhoon.  At  first  Lord  Chang 
appeared  as  eager  as  the  most  zealous  and  sent 
out  criers  in  every  direction.  One  day,  however, 
he  told  his  wife  that  on  the  night  preceding  the 


38  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


typhoon  a child  exactly  answering  Little  Small- 
Feet’s  description  had  been  seen  to  fall  into  the 
river,  and  had  been  swept  away  by  the  current. 
And  from  that  hour  he  ordered  all  attempts  to 
find  the  little  one  to  be  abandoned. 

This  was  sad  news  to  an  undisciplined  mother’s 
heart,  and  Lady  Chang  and  Wang  Dah  Mah 
gave  vent  to  their  grief  in  piercing  wails  and 
shrieks.  The  nights  of  unrestrained  weeping 
nearly  exhausted  Lady  Chang  and  the  family 
became  alarmed  and  Lord  Chang  very  angry. 
Such  fretting  for  an  unwelcome  girl  was  un- 
seemly and  would  make  them  a laughingstock 
throughout  the  city.  The  mourning  must  cease. 
Outward  demonstration  being  denied  her,  the 
poor  mother  pined  in  secret,  and  there  seemed 
danger  of  her  following  her  little  daughter  into 
the  great  unknown.  At  last  Wang  Dah  Mah 
came  to  the  rescue. 

“It  is  many  months  since  we  have  made  a pil- 
grimage to  the  Temple  of  the  Dragon  Pool,”  she 
suggested.  “Perhaps  the  Goddess  of  Mercy  is 
angry  at  us  for  so  long  neglecting  her,  and  be- 
sides the  priest  in  the  temple  may  be  able  to  com- 
fort us  and  tell  us  if  we  shall  ever  see  our  darling 
again.” 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


39 


The  thought  of  such  an  undertaking  aroused 
the  interest  of  the  drooping  lady.  Sedan  chairs 
were  brought  out  and  the  bearers  ordered  to  be  in 
readiness.  The  chairs  holding  Wang  Dab  Mali, 
Lady  Chang,  and  her  two  daughters,  with  those 
of  the  ladies  in  waiting,  made  quite  a procession 
as  they  left  the  city  gates  and  wound  their  way 
up  the  mountain  side.  The  bamboo  groves  were 
still  green  and  cast  their  feathery  shadows  over 
the  path  as  they  passed  along.  The  birds  in  all 
the  thickets  and  tangled  grasses  sang  as  lustily  as 
though  no  storms  could  ever  befall  them,  and  gay 
lizards  darted  across  the  road.  As  they  went 
higher  and  higher  wonderful  views  of  river  and 
city  spread  like  a map  before  their  eyes;  the  high 
wall,  the  red  roof  of  the  drum  tower  and  gates, 
with  the  tiles  of  the  houses  and  the  tapering  blue 
pagoda,  made  a scene  full  of  color  that  delighted 
the  spectators.  The  sun  was  very  warm,  and  its 
kindly  radiance  also  comforted  the  lady’s  heart. 
After  a three  hours’  climb  the  bearers  suddenly 
made  a turn  around  the  shoulder  of  the  moun- 
tain, and  there  in  a little  hollow  shaded  by  willow 
and  bamboo  trees  lay  the  Temple  of  the  Dragon 
Pool. 

The  long  rays  of  the  afternoon  sun  touched 


40  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


one  side  of  the  pool,  and  in  the  other  were  re- 
flected the  quivering  leaves  of  the  graceful  trees 
and  the  curves  of  the  temple  roof.  Here,  surely, 
one  could  find  peace ! 

Aware  that  some  great  personage  approached, 
the  attendants  ran  out  of  the  temple  and  with 
many  bows  besought  the  ladies  to  alight.  Lady 
Chang  sent  the  children  with  her  ladies  in  wait- 
ing to  sit  beside  the  lake,  while  she  and  Wang 
Dah  Mah  proceeded  to  mount  the  steps  of  the 
shrine  and  talk  to  the  priest.  When  she  had 
entered  the  building,  she  turned  to  the  priest  and 
told  him  the  story  of  Little  Small-Feet’s  disap- 
pearance and  death. 

“Tell  me,  I beseech  you,”  she  implored,  “that 
in  some  other  life  I shall  hold  my  precious  one  in 
my  arms  again.” 

“That  is  a foolish  and  wicked  wish,”  replied 
the  priest.  “You  must  not  speak  of  her  here  or 
the  gods  will  be  angry  and  visit  their  wrath  upon 
us.  It  will  take  many  cash  and  much  incense  to 
purify  the  air  after  such  words.  Do  you  not 
understand  that  your  little  girl  was  not  a child  at 
all  but  a changeling  or  demon?  If  she  had  been 
human,  she  would  never  have  disappeared  in  that 
way.  The  spirits,  you  say  yourself,  howled  long 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


41 


with  glee  that  she  had  joined  them  at  last.  It  is  a 
grievous  sin  even  to  think  of  her,  and  the  only 
hope  for  you  is  to  pray  for  a son  and  heir.”  Poor 
Lady  Chang,  she  had  come'  for  bread  and  had 
been  given  a stone!  How  could  she  know  that  a 
messenger  of  Lord  Chang  bad  come  by  a nearer 
and  shorter  way  to  instruct  the  priest  how  to 
answer  her? 

With  a deep  sigh  the  Lady  mounted  to  the 
Goddess  of  Mercy’s  shrine  and  burned  incense 
and  paid  for  the  necessary  prayers  to  be  said. 
She  and  Wang  Dab  Mali  each  took  a vow  never 
again  to  taste  the  flesh  of  any  bird  that  had  flown 
through  the  air,  hoping  that  this  self-sacrifice 
might  perhaps  guard  the  other  children  from 
evil,  and  so  propitiate  the  goddess  that  she  wTould 
give  to  the  mother  the  great  desire  of  her  life,  a 
little  son.  Then,  weary  and  sad,  she  gave  the 
word  of  command  to  return  home. 

The  day  was  waning  fast,  and  the  warm  sun 
was  setting,  giving  place  to  a cold  wind  from  the 
mountain  that  struck  chill  to  the  bones,  and 
moaned  through  the  branches  of  the  trees.  The 
bearers  quickened  their  pace  and  Lady  Chang 
pulled  dowm  her  blinds  and,  huddling  back  in 
her  chair,  gave  way  to  her  grief  and  desolation. 


42  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


After  this  journey,  all  hopes  of  seeing  Little 
Small-F eet  again  were  laid  aside,  and  the  old  life 
that  they  had  known  before  the  child  came  was 
resumed.  N o stranger  would  have  suspected  any 
difference.  The  women  dressed  and  ate,  gossiped 
and  embroidered,  as  formerly,  but  a close  ob- 
server might  have  noticed  that  when  the  pagoda 
bells  were  silent,  Lady  Chang  and  Wang  Dah 
Mah  were  restless  and  excited  and  could  not  bear 
the  older  children  out  of  their  sight  for  a minute, 
and  could  any  have  seen  into  their  hearts,  they 
would  have  beheld  scars  that  no  time  or  change 
could  heal. 

Some  six  weeks  passed  uneventfully  by,  and 
then  a strange  thing  happened  which  caused  a 
slight  ripple  on  the  calm  of  the  children’s  exist- 
ence. One  day  the  two  little  girls  were  going 
through  the  streets  with  an  attendant  when  a 
dirty,  ragged  child  of  about  four  or  five  slipped 
away  from  a band  of  beggars  and  ran  after  the 
party. 

“Save  me!  Save  me!  I am  Little  Small- 
Feet!  I have  been  stolen  and  they  beat  me!”  she 
cried. 

They  turned  to  see  a grimy,  dirty  ragamuffin, 
clad  in  one  thin  garment,  whose  hollow  eyes  and 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


43 


scrawny  hands  no  more  resembled  the  Little 
Small-Feet  they  had  knowm  than  the  yellow  cur 
at  her  heels  looked  like  their  well-cared-for 
Pekingese  dog,  and  so  they  hurried  away  laugh- 
ing. The  beggar  child  ran  crying  after,  until 
some  one  of  the  band  of  women  noticed  her  ab- 
sence and  with  a wild  oath  felled  her  to  the 
ground  and  then,  dragging  her  by  the  shoulder, 
pulled  her  down  a narrow  alley  and  disappeared. 

On  the  children’s  return  to  their  home,  the  first 
person  they  saw  was  Lord  Chang  and  with  great 
excitement  they  told  their  story  to  him.  To  their 
surprise  he  was  very  angry  and  said  that  he 
would  have  all  the  beggars  beaten  and  driven  out 
of  town;  he  would  not  suffer  his  children  to  be  in- 
sulted in  such  a manner.  He  warned  them  not 
to  tell  their  mother  what  had  happened  for  she 
would  fret  and  that  would  make  matters  worse. 
The  next  day  he  went  to  the  yamen  and  it  was 
arranged  that  until  further  notice  all  beggars 
should  be  banished  from  the  city. 

A few  days  later  Lord  Chang  received  the 
official  advancement  which  he  had  long  sought. 
This  time,  he  decided,  his  family  should  accom- 
pany him,  for  as  viceroy  of  a large  province  he 
wanted  the  prestige  a wife  and  children  would 


44  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


give  him.  Before  the  Chinese  New  Year  was 
celebrated  with  firecrackers  and  bonfires,  the 
Changs  had  left  the  halls  of  their  fathers  and  had 
set  sail  for  a new  province.  Lord  Chang  left  his 
little  desired  daughter  behind  him  without  a 
qualm,  but  he  was  careful  to  see  that  his  ancestral 
tablets  were  packed  with  proper  reverence  and 
accompanied  him  on  his  journey. 

Lady  Chang  was  very  sad  as  she  stepped  on 
board  the  stately  junk  that  was  to  bear  them 
away  and  her  eyes  filled  with  tears  as  she  looked 
her  last  on  the  city.  When  the  sails  were  spread 
and  the  anchor  shipped,  and  she  felt  the  swift 
current  against  the  bow,  she  gave  one*  glance  at 
the  muddy  water,  which  she  believed  had  swept 
away  her  darling  and  hurried  to  her  cabin  to 
weep,  and  the  faithful  Wang  Dah  Mah  pushed 
back  the  other  women  when  they  would  have 
crowded  after,  saying,  “Leave  our  lady  alone, 
for  her  heart  must  indeed  eat  bitterness  to-night.” 

Alas  for  Little  Small-Feet!  The  weeks  that 
had  brought  such  a desirable  change  in  the  for- 
tunes of  her  father  had  brought  a far  different 

doom  to  her.  Day  after  day  of  leaden  misery 
* % * 

dragged  along  until  the  child  became  almost 
stupid  with  fear  and  grief.  The  morning  after 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


45 


the  storm  she  had  opened  her  eyes  on  a world 
which  was  a great  contrast  to  anything  she  had 
ever  known,  and  she  began  to  scream  with 
terror.  But  it  did  not  take  long  for  the  girl  to 
realize  that  if  she  wished  to  live  at  all,  she  must 
never  make  an  outcry  of  any  kind,  for  every  sob 
was  answered  with  a blow.  Not  long  after  sun- 
rise Old  Scarred  Face  appeared,  and  of  all  her 
tormentors  Little  Small-Feet  early  learned  to 
dread  her  the  most.  The  preceding  evening  her 
gay  little  garments  had  been  taken  off  and  she 
had  been  clothed  in  a filthy  apology  for  a coat, 
and  in  the  morning  the  wraif’s  disguise  wras 
rendered  all  the  more  complete  by  the  woman’s 
smearing  her  with  mud  from  head  to  foot. 

After  she  had  eaten  rice  from  a broken  bowl, 
Old  Scarred  Face  took  her  by  the  hand  and  told 
the  little  one  that  she  was  to  be  taken  back  to  her 
parents.  Joyfully  the  child  started  out;  her 
troubles  were  at  an  end  at  last.  But  after  an 
hour’s  walk  Little  Small-Feet’s  hopes  began  to 
wrane.  Surely  her  home  was  not  so  many  li  away ! 
Her  weary  footsteps  began  to  drag.  This  slow 
pace  did  not  suit  the  woman  and  she  would  jerk 
the  little  one’s  hand  and  pull  her  along,  unmerci- 
fully expecting  the  child  to  keep  step  with  her 


46  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


long  stride.  At  length  in  a dirty  alley  they 
stopped  before  the  door  of  a stable.  After  look- 
ing anxiously  around  for  a moment,  to  see  that 
they  were  not  observed,  Old  Scarred  Face 
entered.  On  one  side  of  the  stable  was  a pile  of 
straw;  this  the  beggar  woman  pulled  aside,  re- 
vealing the  entrance  to  a half -lighted  passage- 
way. Having  replaced  the  straw,  the  hag 
resumed  her  journey. 

“If  you  ever  speak  of  this  place  to  a living 
person,  I will  pull  your  eyes  out  from  the  sockets 
and  drag  your  tongue  out  by  the  roots,”  she 
threatened. 

The  weary  journey  was  now  at  an  end  and 
they  stood  before  the  same  iron  door  where  the 
woman  had  waited  on  the  preceding  evening. 
Again  the  dwarf  admitted  her  and  they  entered 
the  presence  of  Creeping  Sin. 

The  little  shrinking  creature  thought  that  she 
had  hated  Old  Scarred  Face,  but  when  she  saw 
the  leering  smile  of  Creeping  Sin  she  hid  her  face 
in  the  woman’s  coat  and  refused  to  look  up  until 
the  beggar  had  dragged  her  forward. 

Creeping  Sin  could  not  repress  a chuckle  to  see 
the  daughter  of  the  haughty  Chang  in  such  dis- 
guise. “It’s  worth  the  whole  ransom  to  see  her 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


47 


thus,”  he  said.  ‘‘But  now,”  turning  to  the  beg- 
gar, “you  may  leave  her  clothes  and  go.  When 
the  moon  comes  to  its  first  quarter,  return,  and  I 
will  tell  you  the  result  of  my  bargains.  It  will 
take  at  least  that  time  to  put  them  through.” 

“Slowly,  slowly  speak!  you  take  too  much 
upon  yourself.  The  clothes,”  and  she  touched  a 
bundle  under  her  arm  as  she  spoke,  “I  pawn  until 
they  are  needed;  if  the  brat  appears  in  them 
before  your  servants  they  will  show  at  once  who 
she  is,  for  a full  description  is  in  the  mouth  of  all 
on  the  street.” 

“My  servants  are  safe  enough ; not  a single  one 
but  I have  in  my  power  and  they  know  and  are 
afraid.  But  as  for  the  pawnbroker,  he  would  sell 
his  soul  to  the  highest  bidder.  Give  those  clothes 
to  me!”  There  was  an  almost  mesmeric  power  in 
his  eye  that  cowed  the  bold  woman,  the  same 
power  which  the  snake  uses  over  the  toad,  so  with 
only  a moment’s  hesitation  she  laid  the  bundle  on 
the  table. 

All  through  this  conversation,  Little  Small- 
Feet  had  cowered  against  the  wall,  watching  with 
terrible  fascination  the  scene  before  her.  The 
dwarf,  the  witch,  or  Creeping  Sin — it  would  be 
hard  to  say  which  terrified  her  the  most. 


48  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Old  Scarred  Face  turned  to  go  and  taking  the 
child  by  the  shoulder,  she  gave  her  a shake,  “Re- 
member always  what  I have  told  you ; if  you  ever 
speak  of  this  to  a living  person  or  breathe  it  to  a 
dog,  I will  do  as  I said  and  pull  your  eyes  out 
from  their  sockets  and  drag  your  tongue  out  by 
the  roots.” 

“And  I,”  continued  Creeping  Sin  as  the  door 
closed  behind  the  woman,  “will  take  your  heart 
out  and  grind  it  to  powder.”  Then  turning  to 
the  dwarf,  “Come,  come,  take  the  brat  to  Lui  Sao 
Tze;  she  is  expecting  her.” 

The  thought  of  being  touched  by  the  dwarf 
was  too  much  for  the  suffering  little  one,  and  she 
fell  unconscious  at  their  feet. 

When  she  finally  came  to  herself  the  child 
thought  for  a happy  moment  that  she  had  re- 
turned to  her  own  home.  The  apartment  was 
spacious  and  orderly,  with  all  the  marks  that 
taste  and  wealth  can  give,  and  a woman  whom 
she  took  for  her  amah  was  bathing  her  forehead. 
“O  Wang  Dah  Mah!”  she  exclaimed;  “I  have 
had  such  a terrible  dream!” 

“This  is  not  a place  where  dreams  are  made, 
unless  it  be  nightmares,”  answered  the  woman 
with  a harsh  laugh. 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


49 


“But  where  am  I?”  the  child  pleaded. 

“In  the  same  plight  as  the  rest  of  us,”  the 
woman  answered,  “and  we  call  it  the  Spider’s 
den.” 

“Is  the  sly  man  the  Spider?”  asked  Little 
Small-Feet  eagerly,  and  the  woman  nodded 
assent,  and  told  her  to  be  careful  for  the  walls 
had  ears.  The  child  was  puzzled  by  this,  but  if  it 
had  anything  to  do  with  the  man  she  had  seen, 
she  felt  that  the  quieter  she  kept  the  better. 

The  days  that  followed  were  not  so  hard  for 
Little  Small-Feet.  It  is  true,  she  longed  for 
Wang  Dah  Mah’s  loving  arms  and  quaint 
stories,  and  would  cry  herself  to  sleep  each  night 
because  she  felt  so  strange.  But  the  woman  was 
not  unkind;  the  child  had  the  clothes  and  food  to 
which  she  was  accustomed ; and  life  did  not  seem 
very  different  from  the  home  from  which  she  had 
wandered.  Creeping  Sin  was  busy  with  more 
engrossing  matters  and  had  no  time  for  one  little 
stray  more  or  less.  Once  he  met  her  in  the  court- 
yard and  watched  her  with  a crafty  smile,  be- 
cause, on  seeing  him,  she  screamed  and  tried  to 
run  away. 

“You’ll  never  forget  me,  will  you,  little 
Pearl?”  he  asked. 


50  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“No,  I think  not,”  faltered  the  child.  The 
words  must  have  been  prophetic,  for  as  long  as 
Little  Small-Feet  lived,  she  remembered  that 
scene  and  the  horror  she  felt  of  this  wicked  man. 
As  years  went  by  and  her  early  home  became  a 
dim  memory,  the  names  of  her  parents  were  lost, 
and  even  the  blue  pagoda  was  surrounded  by  a 
haze,  but  Creeping  Sin  and  his  malignant  face 
haunted  her  forever. 

One  beautiful  autumn  evening,  the  dwarf  ap- 
peared at  the  door  of  the  apartment  where  Little 
Small-Feet  was  and  told  her  attendant  that  he 
was  sent  to  take  the  child  to  his  master. 

With  a cry  the  little  one  threw  herself  at  the 
woman’s  feet  and  asked  her  to  come  too;  she 
could  not  go  alone  for  she  knew  that  he  would 
kill  her.  It  was  all  in  vain;  the  woman  simply 
dared  not  intrude  on  her  master  without  being 
summoned  and  the  child  was  forced  to  follow  her 
uncouth  guide. 

In  the  same  room  where  she  had  first  beheld 
Creeping  Sin,  she  found  him  and  her  other  tor- 
mentor, Old  Scarred  Face.  They  were  both 
flushed  and  angry,  and  the  hostile  glances  they 
cast  upon  the  terrified  waif  would  have  fright- 
ened a much  older  person. 


IN  THE  SPIDER’S  DEN 


51 


“True  to  his  reputation,”  said  Creeping  Sin, 
“the  man  has  refused  to  listen  to  a word.  He 
said  that  not  a single  cash  would  he  pay.  He 
never  wanted  another  girl  and  this  would  save 
him  the  expense  of  rearing  her,  but  if  ever  he  met 
with  those  who  stole  his  daughter,  they  would 
hang  as  high  as  the  city  gate.  The  whole  thing 
had  cost  him  all  the  time  and  trouble  he  was 
going  to  spend.” 

“But  what  are  we  to  do  with  the  brat?”  asked 
old  Scarred  Face. 

“Oh,  she’s  your  ‘thousand  ounces  of  gold.’ 
You  found  her;  you  can  keep  her.  If  she  were 
older  I might  help  you,  for  she  has  possibilities — 
look  at  her  hands  and  feet.  But  there  are  too 
many  years  ahead.  As  for  the  man,  her  father, 
we’ll  not  forget  what  we  owe  him.  Now  you  can 
go ; I have  wasted  enough  time  over  an  unprofit- 
able business.” 

Old  Scarred  Face  was  in  two  minds  about  a 
fit  of  passion,  but  feeling  that  it  would  avail  her 
nothing,  she  caught  at  Little  Small-Feet’s  hand 
and  dragged  her  from  the  presence  of  Creeping 
Sin. 

Then  began  a dreadful  time  for  the  delicately 
reared  child;  how  she  survived  it  for  even  one 


52  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


month  will  never  be  known.  Who  can  describe 
Little  Small-Feet’s  agony  of  mind  when  she  fol- 
lowed her  sisters  one  day  and  they  failed  to 
recognize  her ; or  her  horror  when  the  order  was 
given  for  the  beggars  to  leave  the  city  and  she 
knew  that  she  was  leaving  all  hope  behind  when 
she  cast  her  last  look  on  her  old  friend,  the  blue 
pagoda?  Perhaps  the  waif  did  not  realize  it,  for 
she  was  barely  five,  and  who  can  know  the 
thoughts  of  a young  child’s  heart? 

Thus  Little  Small-Feet’s  life  of  wandering 
began;  she  was  taken  from  city  to  city,  through 
winter’s  cold  and  summer’s  heat,  through  deep 
mountain  passes  where  wild  beasts  lurked,  and  in 
the  huge  cities  on  the  plain  where  the  human 
beasts  are  yet  more  savage.  Always  famished, 
ill-treated,  and  half-clad,  she  forgot  her  past  and 
could  look  forward  to  no  future,  for  each  moment 
was  one  of  grinding  poverty  that  cut  off  all 
horizons.  She  was  dead  to  the  sufferings  of  the 
many  children  about  her  because  all  thought  for 
any  but  herself  had  been  taken  from  her. 

From  thousands  of  childhoods  such  as  hers, 
men  turn  away  their  heads  because  they  do  not 
choose  to  see;  but  wilt  not  thou  be  pitiful,  O 
God? 


CHAPTER  IV 


THE  CITY  THAT  LIES  IN  THE  SHADOW  OF 
PURPLE  MOUNTAIN 


There  when  the  dim  blue  daylight  lingers 
Listening,  and  the  West  grows  holy. 
Singers  crouch  with  long  white  fingers 
Floating  over  the  zithern  slowly: 

Paper  lamps  with  a peachy  bloom 
Burn  above  on  the  dim  blue  bough, 
While  the  zitherns  gild  the  gloom 
With  curious  music ! I hear  it  now  ! 


ENTLE  Spring  was  again  abroad  on  the 


road,  traveling  northward  accompanied  by 
her  usual  bodyguard  of  wayward  breezes.  Not 
long  had  she  been  at  work,  but  traces  of  her 
magic  could  be  seen  in  tiny  leaf  buds  and  in  the 
shimmer  of  green  in  the  grasses  of  the  hollows. 
The  frogs  in  the  ponds  knew  it,  and  were  croak- 
ing lustily  under  the  impression  they  were  sing- 
ing oratorios,  while  the  birds  were  warbling  in 
the  tangled  coppice.  There  was  no  doubt  about 
it,  hope  was  in  the  air ! 

Many  li  to  the  north  of  the  City  of  the  Blue 


Alfred  Noyes. 


53 


54  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Pagoda  is  situated  the  City  That  Lies  in  the 
Shadow  of  Purple  Mountain.  Very  famous  is 
this  place  and  full  of  historic  ruins;  rebellions 
and  revolutions  have  swept  over  it;  dynasties 
have  ruled  and  declined,  until  now  its  ancient 
grandeur  has  fallen  to  decay. 

This  March  evening  the  setting  sun  had  cast  a 
glorious  garment  of  lavender  and  gold  over  the 
city,  as  if  to  cover  with  an  emperor’s  cloak 
the  signs  of  destruction  and  the  marks  of  time. 
Soft,  pink  clouds  still  lingered  around  the  sum- 
mit of  Purple  Mountain  as  if  loath  to  say  good 
night,  and  the  winds  that  arise  at  twilight  had 
begun  to  whisper  in  the  trees.  The  City  That 
Lies  in  the  Shadow  of  Purple  Mountain  was 
sprawled,  like  a huge  dragon,  on  the  plain  below. 
A few  scattered  huts  reached  almost  to  the 
mountain’s  foot,  while  the  suburbs  extended  out- 
side the  wall  with  more  or  less  density  of  popula- 
tion to  the  banks  of  the  mighty,  hurrying  river 
ten  miles  distant.  The  streets  hummed  with  the 
usual  noise  of  hawkers  calling  their  wares,  dogs 
barking,  women  screaming  to  their  neighbors, 
and  coolies  uttering  the  peculiar  singsong 
whereby  they  seek  to  make  their  burdens  lighter ; 
because  the  sun  was  setting  with  unusual 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


55 


splendor  was  no  reason  why  they  should  lay 
down  their  tasks ; the  hush  of  nature  was  nothing 
to  them! 

A little  to  one  side,  where  the  population  was 
less  congested  and  there  was  room  for  breathing 
space,  arose  the  gray  walls  of  the  foreign  hos- 
pital, shaded  by  trees  and  surrounded  by  the 
restful  green  of  lawns  and  the  gay  colors  of  yel- 
low daffodils  and  crocuses.  The  people  of  the 
city  held  this  place  in  awe,  for  there  were  many 
dark  rumors  of  what  went  on  within  its  walls. 
Stories  were  circulated  of  babies  ground  to 
powder  and  of  horrid  rites  and  sorceries,  and  as 
they  spread,  the  wonder  of  them  grew  and  also 
the  terror  of  the  hospital. 

In  the  window  of  a ward  stood  a young  woman 
in  nurse’s  uniform,  whose  sad  eyes  were  fixed  on 
the  fading  glory  which  brought  back  happy 
memories  of  her  far-away  country. 

“If  it  were  not  for  Purple  Mountain  and  these 
evening  lights  I do  not  believe  that  I could  stand 
the  sordidness  and  misery,”  she  thought.  “I 
would  just  have  to  leave  it  and  sail  for  home.” 

She  watched  the  bright  glow  fade  and  the 
recesses  fill  with  the  purple  shadows  for  which 
the  mountain  was  named,  and  then  greatly 


56  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


heartened  and  with  her  usual  shining  look  she 
returned  to  her  interrupted  duties. 

Beautiful  as  it  appeared  in  the  evening  light, 
all  was  not  well  on  Purple  Mountain.  If  the 
recesses  and  caves  could  have  spoken,  they  might 
have  told  many  a tale  of  crime  and  horror 
scarcely  fit  for  gentle  ears,  for  in  one  of  the  very 
crevices  that  the  nurse  had  wratched  wras  settled  a 
human  brood  w'hose  existence  wras  scarcely  higher 
than  that  of  the  pariah  dogs  that  roamed  the 
streets  stealing  and  quarreling.  These  people 
are  the  “beggars”  who  belong  to  a close  frater- 
nity; the  house  dogs  are  taught  to  bark  at  them 
and  drive  them  from  the  door;  the  charitable 
drop  an  occasional  cash  into  their  outstretched 
bowls,  and  by  these  means  and  by  petty  thieving 
they  subsist — unless,  like  Old  Scarred  Face,  they 
have  a head  for  schemes  and  plots  and  can  thus 
make  a more  profitable  livelihood.  Their  dwell- 
ing place  in  this  instance  was  a cave  formed  by  a 
cleft  in  the  rocks,  the  only  light  being  that  af- 
forded by  a smoldering  fire  of  reeds  over  which 
some  primitive  cooking  was  done.  The  air  was 
thick  with  smoke  and  heavy  writh  vile  odors,  while 
the  language  of  the  men  and  women  was  dread- 
ful to  hear. 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


57 


On  a heap  of  dirty  straw  in  one  corner  lay  a 
child  evidently  in  pain,  for  every  now  and  then 
she  uttered  a low  moan.  She  was  a mass  of  rags 
and  filth;  her  unkempt  hair  had  apparently 
never  known  a comb;  the  only  feature  that 
showed  through  the  grime  was  a pair  of  dark 
eyes,  bright  with  fever. 

Squatted  on  the  floor  near  her  were  two 
crones,  who  might  have  sat  for  portraits  of  the 
Fates  and  Furies:  their  scant  hair  stood  out  in 
wisps;  almost  all  of  their  teeth  were  gone  and 
their  red  gums  had  a horrid,  bestial  look;  their 
thin  hands  were  like  the  claws  of  birds;  their 
padded  garments  were  so  tattered  that  it  seemed 
a marvel  that  they  did  not  fall  from  their  bony 
shoulders. 

Absolutely  regardless  of  the  child  that  lay  so 
near,  they  coolly  discussed  her  fate.  The  older 
woman,  whose  face  was  marked  by  smallpox, 
was  speaking. 

“You  talk  foolishly.-  It  is  useless  to  feed  the 
brat  longer.  Xow  that  her  leg  is  so  bad  that  she 
cannot  go  out  with  me  and  beg,  she  is  not  worth  a 
string  of  cash.  Little  did  I think,  when  I took 
her  from  the  noble  family  that  lives  to  the  south, 
that  they  possessed  so  many  daughters  that  they 


58  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


would  not  feel  it  worth  while  to  pay  me  a ransom. 
She  was  handsomely  dressed,  too,  but  the  rascally 
pawnbroker  gave  me  a mere  song  for  her  clothes, 
and  I did  not  dare  demand  more  for  fear  that  he 
would  squeal.  When  I burned  her  leg  and 
rubbed  dirt  into  it,  I thought  that  I had  done  a 
clever  trick  for  I told  people  that  she  had  been 
bitten  by  a serpent  and  they  paid  to  see  the  sore, 
so  it  worked  well  for  a season.  But  the  child  is 
no  use  this  way.  If  the  gods  will  that  she  should 
die  I will  not  burn  incense  to  keep  her  alive,”  and 
she  cackled  harshly  at  the  joke. 

“Why  don’t  you  take  her  down  to  the  foreign 
hospital?”  suggested  the  other  woman,  in  whom 
there  was  a little  spark  of  humanity  left.  “They 
would  take  her  in  and  make  her  well  to  boot. 
You  know,  Old  Scarred  Face,  they  would  not 
charge  anything.” 

“Yes,  and  a pretty  story  she  would  tell  of  the 
way  she  has  been  treated!  Those  foreigners  are 
silly  about  children  and  make  a horrid  fuss  when 
they  think  the  ‘torments’  have  been  abused.  She 
is  not  worth  the  trouble  and  has  cost  me  far  too 
much  already.” 

The  two  women  moved  away  to  get  their  share 
of  rice,  leaving  poor  Little  Small-Feet — for  alas! 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


59 


this  is  what  she  had  come  to — shivering  and 
terror-stricken  in  the  corner.  Did  ever  the  little 
breezes  play  a sorrier  trick  than  on  the  day  they 
tempted  Little  Small-Feet  to  visit  the  blue 
pagoda? 

As  she  lay  on  the  floor,  the  waif  could  have 
screamed  at  the  thought  of  being  left  to  starve, 
but  knowing  that  her  cries  would  mean  a beating 
she  only  lay  and  moaned. 

In  a few  minutes  the  kindlier  of  the  two  women 
came  and  held  a bowl  of  weak  tea  to  the  child’s 
lips  and  slipped  into  the  feverish  fingers  a small 
portion  of  bread.  It  was  the  first  food  Little 
Small-Feet  had  tasted  that  day  and  she  gulped  it 
down  eagerly.  She  knew  however,  that  this 
relief  was  only  temporary,  for  the  woman  was 
starting  south  in  the  morning  and  then  what  her 
fate  would  be,  she  hardly  dared  think. 

Over  three  years  had  passed  since  Little 
Small-Feet  had  been  stolen — years  that  are  bet- 
ter forgotten.  The  scars  of  stripes  on  her  back 
and  the  hunted  look  in  her  eyes  alone  would  tell 
a story,  and  now  at  length  the  end  had  come  to 
this  miserable  existence,  or  so  it  seemed  to  her. 
Still  the  words  that  she  had  heard  rang  in  her 
ears.  Could  it  be  possible  that  at  the  hospital 


60  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


she  might  find  a refuge?  It  would  not  be  worse 
than  dying  here  of  starvation.  She  remembered 
the  hospital  and  where  it  stood;  many  times  she 
had  passed  it.  How  could  she  ever  reach  the 
place  when  it  lay  so  far  away?  Then  she  thought 
of  the  pilgrims  she  had  seen  crawling  on  their 
sides  to  holy  shrines,  in  order  to  acquire  merit. 
Surely  she  could  do  as  much  to  save  her  life! 
The  beggars  by  this  time  were  fast  asleep ; now 
was  her  chance;  she  must  get  away  from  the  path 
that  led  to  the  cave  before  dawn,  if  she  did  not 
want  to  be  brought  back  and  certainly  killed. 

So  once  again  Little  Small-Feet  decided  to 
run  away,  but  this  time  there  was  no  glee  or  joy 
in  her  heart,  only  a bitter,  bitter  fear.  With  the 
strength  of  desperation  she  crept  out  of  the  stuffy 
cavern,  and  as  the  cool  night  breezes  blew  across 
her  face,  her  courage  strengthened.  Surely  the 
little  breezes  could  not  recognize  their  one-time 
playmate  in  such  a guise,  yet  they  did  her  a 
friendly  deed  to  keep  her  company  to-night. 
Like  a great  human  caterpillar  she  edged  her 
way  along  the  stony  path ; brambles  caught  at  her 
face  and  tore  her  hair  like  tiny  elfin  hands  hold- 
ing her  back;  toads  and  insects  slipped  between 
her  fingers;  and  once  a snake  glided  out  from 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


61 


under  a stone  into  the  brush  on  the  other  side  of 
the  road. 

Frightened  as  she  was  of  all  these  creatures, 
they  were  not  half  so  terrible  as  the  human  crea- 
tures she  had  left  behind,  so  she  crept  steadily  on, 
and  as  the  first  faint  streak  of  dawn  brightened 
the  eastern  sky  and  flushed  the  sides  of  Purple 
Mountain,  she  turned  into  a side  road  far  enough 
away  from  the  cavern  to  escape  the  fear  of 
detection.  Nevertheless  each  moment  seemed 
fraught  with  some  terror;  sometimes  it  would  be 
the  sight  of  a beggar  in  the  distance,  when  she 
would  lie  on  her  face  or  crawl  under  the  shadow 
of  a wall ; again  some  fierce  dog  or  half-wild  pig 
would  come  up  and  menace  her  with  its  sharp 
teeth.  The  passers-by  paid  little  heed  to  the 
wanderer;  they  were  accustomed  to  the  sight  of 
misery  and  one  child  more  or  less  did  not  count. 

When  the  afternoon  was  waning,  Little  Small- 
Feet  was  still  a long  distance  from  her  destina- 
tion and  her  strength  was  failing  so  fast  that  she 
began  to  despair  of  reaching  the  hospital  that 
night.  In  that  case  she  felt  that  she  would  never 
live  until  the  morning,  for  the  dogs  and  pigs 
would  be  bolder  at  night,  as  they  were  fierce  with 
hunger. 


62  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


At  last,  with  courage  utterly  gone,  she  began 
to  cry  and  a passing  countryman  heard  the 
sound  coming  from  what  he  at  first  supposed  to 
be  a bundle  of  rags.  He  had  plenty  of  time,  so 
he  stopped  his  creaking  wheelbarrow  and  stooped 
over  the  little  refugee. 

“What  is  the  matter  here?”  he  asked  in  a 
friendly  voice.  “We  do  not  need  your  tears  to 
water  the  ground ; we  have  moisture  enough  with- 
out that  as  the  gods  of  the  floods  will  tell  you.” 
For  a moment  he  received  no  answer,  but  after  a 
short  coaxing  Little  Small-Feet  explained  her 
trouble.  Perhaps  the  rough  farmer  had  a 
daughter  at  home,  for  he  told  the  weeping  child 
to  cease  crying  and  as  he  happened  to  be  going 
in  the  direction  of  the  city  he  would  take  her  as  a 
passenger. 

The  clumsy  wheelbarrow  was  no  swift-moving 
ambulance,  and  eveiy  turn  of  the  wheel  was 
torture  to  the  injured  child,  but  Little  Small- 
Feet  bore  it  with  the  stoicism  learned  from  hard 
usage.  The  thought  that  she  would  certainly 
reach  the  hospital  before  dark  had  completely 
restored  her  courage. 

“I  must  leave  you  here,”  the  countryman  an- 
nounced when  they  had  come  within  a few  doors 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


63 


of  their  destination.  “It  is  all  very  well  for  you 
to  risk  having  the  foreigners  cast  the  evil  eye 
upon  you.  You  have  nothing  to  lose,  but  with 
me  it  is  different.  I have  a pig  and  some  chick- 
ens, and  I could  not  afford  to  have  them  die,’’  and 
he  hurried  away  for  fear  he  might  meet  the  out- 
landish strangers. 

The  waif  crawled  painfully  to  the  hospital 
gate  and  settled  herself  on  the  threshold,  for  she 
had  no  strength  to  knock.  She  was  haunted 
indeed  by  the  dread  that  her  painful  journey 
might  be  in  vain  and  that  she  might  be  refused 
admission. 

Fortunately  Little  Small-Feet  had  not  long 
to  wait,  for  soon  she  heard  a voice  talking  in 
unfamiliar  accent  on  the  other  side  of  the 
gate;  the  hinges  creaked  and  a tall  form  almost 
trod  on  her  as  she  lay.  There  was  an  ex- 
clamation of  surprise  and  then  she  was  gently 
lifted  and  carried  up  the  garden  walk  to  the 
hospital.  For  the  first  time  in  three  bitter  years 
Little  Small-Feet  felt  a touch  that  was  not 
hostile,  and  instinctively  she  knew  that  she  was 
safe. 

On  entering  the  hospital  they  turned  immedi- 
ately into  the  reception  room  and  she  heard  her 


64  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


new-found  friend  say  words  that  sounded  beauti- 
ful to  her  ears. 

“Well,  Miss  Faith,  here  is  another  little  waif 
for  you  to  mother.” 

Then  at  last  Little  Small-Feet  dared  to  open 
her  eyes  and  she  looked  up  into  the  very  kindest, 
sweetest  face  she  had  ever  seen.  The  light,  curly 
hair,  eyes  the  color  of  the  skies,  and  aquiline  nose, 
looked  very  odd  and  outlandish,  and  the  little  one 
wondered  why  she  was  not  afraid,  but  instead  she 
relaxed  into  the  arms  outstretched  to  take  her 
with  a sigh  of  deep  content. 

With  never  a doubt  or  shrinking  the  nurse  held 
her  burden,  but  tears  sprang  to  her  eyes  and  ran 
unheeded  down  her  face  as  she  noticed  the  sign 
of  abuse  and  neglect  so  plainly  visible;  she 
wondered  how  many  more  such  children  wan- 
dered the  streets  of  the  city. 

The  doctor,  having  put  his  charge  in  the  proper 
care,  delayed  long  enough  to  ask  her  name. 

“My  name  is  Little  Small-Feet,”  the  child 
answered  wearily. 

“That  is  a very  honorable  name,”  he  replied, 
“but  you  must  have  another;  try  to  think!” 

“Nothing  else,  only  Little  Small-Feet,”  she 
answered. 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


65 


“But  your  parents — what  are  they  called?” 

“I  suppose  I had  a father  and  mother — indeed 
Old  Scarred  Face  told  the  other  woman  so — but 
they  did  not  want  me;  I wras  only  a girl,  you 
know,  and  I lost  them  so  long  ago  that  I do  not 
remember.” 

Seeing  that  the  matter  was  hopeless,  the  doctor 
dropped  it  for  a season  and  started  on  his  rounds. 
Little  Small-Feet  then  underwent  an  experience 
that  terrified  her  more  than  all  the  ill-usage  she 
had  ever  had,  for  she  did  not  know  what  it  meant ; 
and  she  wondered  if,  after  all,  it  might  not  be 
preliminary  to  being  ground  to  powder.  Her 
clothes  "were  taken  away  from  her  and  she  was 
given  a bath.  It  was  a long  and  thorough 
process,  and  through  it  all  Little  Small-Feet 
gave  vent  to  the  screams  and  cries  that  had  been 
pent  up  in  her  small  body  through  years  of  mis- 
use. When  it  was  finally  over  and  she  wras  laid 
in  a clean  bed,  nurse  and  patient  were  both  ex- 
hausted, and  Little  Small-Feet  fell  immediately 
into  a restful  sleep. 

Gentle  Spring  arose  with  the  sun  the  next 
morning,  and  gave  direction  to  her  friends  that 
of  all  of  the  days  of  the  year  this  was  to  be  the 
sweetest,  for  a tired  child  had  found  shelter.  So 


66  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


when  Little  Small-Feet  opened  her  eyes,  a soft 
breeze  was  wandering  in  and  out  of  the  window 
by  her  cot,  waiting  to  speed  and  tell  the  others 
that  the  child  was  awake  and  they  must  be  on  the 
alert.  Then  he  flew  to  a bed  of  violets,  and  gath- 
ering an  armful  of  fragrance,  he  hurried  back 
through  the  window,  only  stopping  long  enough 
in  the  shrubbery  to  warn  the  birds  that  now  they 
must  sing  as  they  had  never  sung  in  all  their  life 
before.  The  song  of  the  birds,  the  fragrance  of 
the  violets,  and  the  soft  comfort  of  her  bed  quite 
bewildered  Little  Small-Feet,  for  the  moment. 
What  was  the  strange  room  with  its  windows  and 
doors,  and  its  rows  of  beds,  and  how  had  she  come 
here?  Then  suddenly  the  recollection  of  yester- 
day and  her  flight  came  over  her;  this  was  the 
hospital,  and  all  this  foreign  sorcery.  Had  they 
changed  her,  too,  she  wondered,  into  the  likeness 
of  a fox  or  some  other  animal?  The  waif  held  up 
her  bony  hand;  no,  it  looked  the  same  as  ever, 
only  infinitely  cleaner ! 

As  far  as  that  was  concerned  everything  was 
clean ; the  floors,  the  walls,  the  beds  all  seemed  to 
gleam.  She  had  never  known  anything  like  it, 
but  how  comfortable  it  was ! Would  Old  Scarred 
Face  dare  look  for  her  here?  At  the  thought  the 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


07 


child  hid  herself  beneath  the  covers.  But  soon 
she  heard  a footstep  and  peeped  out  to  see  stand- 
ing before  her  the  new-found  friend  holding  a 
steaming  bowl  of  soup.  The  light  in  the  strang- 
er’s eyes,  the  tender  smile  on  her  lips,  and  the 
cadence  of  her  low  voice  must  have  been  some 
strange  magic,  for  at  that  moment  she  stole  the 
heart  of  Little  Small-Feet.  There  were  many 
painful  dressings  to  undergo,  but  she  bore  them 
much  better  than  she  did  the  surprising  bath.  As 
hour  followed  hour  and  she  lay  quite  still,  her 
face  was  always  turned  toward  the  door  through 
which  the  nurse  entered.  When  the  child  saw 
that  her  friend  was  coming  at  last,  her  whole 
expression  would  change  and  it  would  be  hard 
to  recognize  her  as  the  same  dull  little  figure 
that  wras  found  on  the  doorstep  that  March 
evening.  So  the  nurse  would  linger  by  the  bed, 
telling  stories  of  her  home  across  the  sea  and  all 
sorts  of  facts  and  fancies,  just  for  the  sake  of 
seeing  the  smile  that  chased  away  the  shadow 
from  the  little  one’s  face. 

“Your  name  may  be  Miss  Faith,  but  I call  you 
my  Great  Helpful  Lady!”  said  Little  Small- 
Feet  one  day  as  she  patted  her  friend’s  hands 
with  those  long,  slender  fingers  that  seemed  to 


68  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


prove  her  gentle  birth.  From  that  moment  the 
child  refused  to  use  any  other  name. 

Time  flew  fast  in  the  hospital  that  spring;  the 
cheer  that  came  from  the  merry  song  of  the  birds 
in  the  compound  trees  seemed  to  be  reflected  in 
all  the  wards,  and  there  was  no  sunnier,  happier 
place  to  be  found  than  around  Little  Small- 
Feet’s  bed.  At  first  her  language  was  dreadfully 
coarse,  and  her  manners  and  habits  appalling, 
but  as  she  associated  more  and  more  with  the 
Great  Helpful  Lady,  these  coarse  ways  grad- 
ually dropped  away,  and  in  this  more  refined 
atmosphere  she  returned  unconsciously  to  the 
courteous  customs  she  had  learned  in  her  own 
home. 

A morning  came  at  length  when  she  was 
wrapped  in  a warm  rug  and  carried  out  into 
the  garden.  May  was  in  the  air  and  all  the 
paths  were  gay  with  flowers.  Little  Small-Feet 
clapped  her  hands  with  joy  at  the  riot  of  color 
and  settled  herself  back  with  a sigh  of  content  in 
the  comfortable  chair. 

“O  Little  Small-Feet,  I forgot  the  very  nicest 
thing  of  all,”  explained  her  friend  and  hurried 
away  to  return  in  a minute  with  a knobby  bundle 
in  her  hands.  She  gave  it  to  the  child  saying. 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


69 


“This  came  all  the  way  from  ‘the  City  by  the 
Sea’  particularly  for  you.” 

With  eager,  trembling  fingers  Little  Small- 
Feet  undid  the  strings  and  before  her  bewildered 
eyes  appeared  a lovely  little  foreign  doll.  She 
gave  a cry  of  joy  and  hugged  it  close,  and' then 
turned  to  her  friend  such  a look  of  adoring  hom- 
age, that  the  giver  could  scarcely  refrain  from 
tears;  but  she  laughed  instead  and  said:  “This 
baby  will  bear  you  company  when  I am  away 
from  you,  won’t  she?  Now  I must  run  away  to 
my  other  children.” 

When  the  Great  Helpful  Lady  returned  an 
hour  or  two  later,  the  child  was  so  absorbed  that 
she  did  not  hear  her  step  on  the  soft  turf.  The 
new  doll  wras  clasped  tightly  in  its  mother’s  arms 
and  she  was  gently  croning  over  it  these  words : 


“The  small-footed  girl 

With  the  sweet  little  smile, 
She  loves  to  eat  sugar 

And  sweets  all  the  while. 
Her  money’s  all  gone 

And  because  she  can’t  buy. 
She  holds  her  small  feet 

While  she  sits  down  to  cry.” 


“Why,  Little  Small-Feet,”  the  lady  exclaimed, 


70  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“what  a charming  lullaby  and  all  about  yourself, 
too!  Where  did  you  ever  learn  it?” 

Little  Small-Feet  looked  up  startled.  “I  don’t 
know  because  just  as  I seem  going  to  remember 
I suddenly  forget,  but  I think  her  name  was 
Wang  Dah  Mah.” 

“And  who  was  Wang  Dah  Mah?  Try  hard 
to  remember;  it  might  help  us  to  find  your 
friends.  Where  did  you  see  her  and  how  long 
ago?” 

“O  my  Great  Helpful  Lady,  I cannot  think! 
I have  seen  so  many  people  and  been  in  so  many 
places,  and  the  only  faces  I seem  to  remember 
are  Old  Scarred  Face  and  Creeping  Sin.”  As 
soon  as  she  had  mentioned  these  two  names  a 
great  terror  overcame  the  child;  she  began  to 
weep  and  turned  deadly  pale,  casting  frightened 
glances  behind  her,  as  if  half  expecting  to  see  her 
two  enemies  hovering  near. 

“O  my  Great  Helpful  Lady,  do  not  let  us 
speak  of  them,  for  I know  they  will  kill  me  if 
they  ever  find  out  that  I have  told  their  names !” 

Little  Small-Feet  seemed  so  overcome  that  the 
nurse  felt  it  better  to  change  the  subject  for 
the  present.  It  was  only  bit  by  bit,  when  she 
held  the  child  in  her  arms  and  the  little  one’s  arms 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


71 


were  around  her  neck,  and  her  mouth  close  up 
to  the  nurse’s  ear,  that  Little  Small-Feet  con- 
fided the  story  of  her  terrible  wanderings.  Very 
often  the  Great  Helpful  Lady  lay  awake  until 
the  small  hours  of  the  morning,  her  heart  so 
oppressed  with  the  stories  she  had  heard  that 
sleep  refused  to  come. 

No  clue,  however,  was  found  to  Little  Small- 
Feet’s  family  or  the  city  from  which  she  had 
roamed.  The  stay  in  the  Spider’s  den  had  wiped 
out  all  recollection  of  what  went  before  except 
such  little  things  as  the  lullaby  and  Wang  Dah 
Mah’s  name,  which  proved  in  the  end  no  clue 
at  all. 

As  the  weeks  went  by  the  Great  Helpful  Lady 
grew  more  and  more  desirous  of  adopting  the 
waif,  but  the  hospital  authorities  felt  that  this 
would  be  unwise,  for  if  it  should  get  noised 
abroad  that  a beggar  child  had  been  adopted,  the 
hospital  would  be  overwhelmed  with  foundlings 
left  by  thousands  of  poor  people,  and  there  was 
neither  funds  nor  space  to  keep  such  a number. 

The  nurse  comforted  herself,  however,  with  the 
thought  that  she  would  find  some  kind  native 
family  and  arrange  with  the  family  to  care  for 
the  child. 


72  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Alas,  for  plans  and  dreams!  Before  Little 
Small-Feet  was  well  enough  to  be  moved  from 
the  hospital,  the  steaming  months  of  July  and 
August  fell  upon  the  city,  and  the  Great  Help- 
ful Lady  came  down  with  malaria  that  alwajrs 
stalks  the  summer  streets,  and  immediately  she 
was  ordered  away  to  the  mountains  to  save  her 
life.  Even  in  her  fever  the  lady  did  not  forget 
her  favorite,  and  left  many  directions  about  her. 
But  the  hospital  was  short-handed  during  the  hot 
season,  and  the  staff  terribly  overworked,  and  in 
this  condition  Little  Small-Feet’s  interests  were 
overlooked.  No  one  could  tell  exactly  how  it 
happened,  but  when  the  Great  Helpful  Lady 
returned  in  the  autumn,  she  found  that  Little 
Small-Feet  had  been  dismissed,  leaving  no  trace 
behind. 

The  Great  Helpful  Lady  was  inconsolable ; she 
instituted  inquiries  in  every  direction  and  when- 
ever she  went  outside  her  gate  she  examined  each 
child  she  met  in  the  hope  that  it  might  prove  to  be 
her  little  friend.  In  her  long  walks  she  had  the 
girl  constantly  on  her  mind,  and  twice  she  went  as 
far  as  Purple  Mountain  and  as  she  climbed  its 
steep  sides  she  marveled  at  the  courage  of  the 
wanderer  who  had  dared  to  crawl  over  such  steep 


THE  CITY  IN  THE  SHADOW 


73 


places  with  her  wounded  leg;  and  ever  as  she 
walked  she  called,  “Little  Small-Feet,  Little 
Small-Feet!”  But  the  reverberating  echoes  only 
mocked  her,  and  wearied  and  disheartened  she 
was  forced  to  retrace  her  steps  alone. 


CHAPTER  V 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 

Hold  by  right  and  rule  by  fear 
Till  the  slowly  broadening  sphere 
Melting  through  the  skies  above 
Merge  into  the  sphere  of  love. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 

MONTH  followed  month  and  the  dreary, 
dark  days  of  winter  cast  their  gloom  over 
the  City  That  Lies  in  the  Shadow  of  Purple 
Mountain.  The  rich  put  padded  garment  over 
padded  garment  and  added  a fur-lined  coat 
thereto,  thus  challenging  the  cold  to  do  its  worst, 
and  adding  much  to  their  girth  and  the  impor- 
tance with  which  they  were  regarded.  The  poor 
shivered  in  their  rags  and  perished  with  want  on 
the  street  corners  and  in  their  miserable  huts, 
while  the  life  of  the  city  flowed  relentlessly  by 
them.  At  the  hospital  nothing  was  heard  about 
Little  Small-Feet;  she  had  disappeared  as  com- 
pletely as  a pebble  thrown  into  a pond.  Only  the 
winds  moaning  down  the  mountain  side  could 
have  told  of  her  whereabouts  and  their  sharp 


74, 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


75 

tongues  were  too  busy  about  other  matters  to 
give  time  to  wandering  beggar  children.  But  the 
Great  Helpful  Lady  often  stopped  in  the  midst 
of  her  duties  to  wipe  away  a tear  at  the  thought 
of  her  favorite  straying  homeless  in  the  hitter 
weather. 

Winter  winds  gave  way  at  length  to  softer 
breezes  and  spring  brought  hope  and  warmth  to 
the  shivering  city.  On  one  of  these  bright  morn- 
ings the  Great  Helpful  Lady  was  standing  at  the 
gatehouse  talking  with  some  friends.  Suddenly 
she  heard  a cry  and  saw  a pathetic  bundle  of  rags 
come  limping  toward  her;  as  she  reached  the  lady 
the  little  girl  stumbled  and  fell  headlong;  some 
instinct  told  the  nurse  who  it  was  and  she  ran  for- 
ward with  an  exclamation  of  pity.  The  child  did 
not  attempt  to  rise  hut  lay  there  hugging  her 
friend’s  feet,  and  the  lady,  stooping,  gathered  her 
up  in  her  arms  regardless  of  grime  and  dirt, 
fondling  and  crying  over  her,  while  Little  Small- 
Feet  kept  repeating,  “My  Great  Helpful  Lady! 
My  Great  Helpful  Lady!” 

Could  there  be  any  doubt  of  the  wanderer’s  fate 
after  such  a scene?  The  bystanders  thought  not 
and  at  once  decided  that  by  right  of  conquest  the 
wayfarer  belonged  to  the  lady.  This  time  the  nec- 


76  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


essary  bath  was  welcomed  with  glee,  but  it  proved 
an  even  longer  process  than  the  famous  first  at- 
tempt, because  Little  Small-Feet  interrupted  it 
so  often  to  stroke  the  hand  that  held  the  sponge. 

Little  Small-Feet’s  terror  of  Old  Scarred  Face 
had  grown  and  trebled  in  the  past  few  months, 
and  it  was  with  much  difficulty  that  she  was 
coaxed  to  tell  her  story.  The  lady  gathered  that 
the  beggar  was  lying  in  wait  for  the  child  when 
she  was  dismissed  from  the  hospital,  and  immedi- 
ately seized  her  and  stripped  off  her  clothes,  and 
nearly  naked,  the  poor  little  victim  had  been 
forced  to  return  to  the  old  life  of  terror.  Old 
Scarred  Face  had  again  burned  the  waif’s  leg, 
and  she  had  been  kept  a prisoner  in  the  cave,  but 
one  day  when  she  had  been  left  alone  by  mistake, 
Little  Small-Feet  escaped  and  dragged  her  way 
back  to  her  protectress. 

“Do  you  know,  my  lady,  one  day  before  the 
winter  fell,  I was  in  the  cave  and  I thought  I 
heard  your  voice  calling  me,  ‘Little  Small-Feet, 
Little  Small-Feet,’  and  I ran  to  the  mouth  of  the 
cave  and  tried  to  answer,  but  Old  Scarred  Face 
knocked  me  down  and  said  that  should  you  come 
for  me,  all  the  beggars  would  kill  you,  so  I did 
not  dare  to  answer  again.” 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


77 


“Yes,  it  was  I,  Little  Small-Feet,  out  on  the 
mountain  calling  for  you,”  said  the  lady. 

“I  am  so  glad  that  you  did  not  forget  me,  but 
I wish  Old  Scarred  Face  would;  I am  afraid  she 
never  will.  I think  Creeping  Sin  is  here,  too,  for 
one  of  the  children  told  me  that  he  and  the  woman 
met  in  the  city,  and  I think  he  is  worse  than  Old 
Scarred  Face.” 

A beautiful  new  day  now  dawned  for  Little 
Small-Feet.  To  be  surrounded  by  love,  to  be 
assured  that  she  would  never  again  be  parted 
from  her  friend — these  things  conspired  to  bring 
the  light  back  into  her  face.  The  only  cloud,  and 
that  indeed  heavy,  wras  the  thought  of  Old 
Scarred  Face  hovering  like  some  bird  of  prey 
ready  to  pounce,  if  for  a minute  Little  Small- 
Feet  should  be  found  alone.  It  wrought  such 
terror  in  her  childish  mind  that  often  in  the  night 
she  would  awraken  with  a scream.  Then  her 
friend  would  hurry  to  her  side  with  a light  in  her 
hand,  and  the  patients  in  the  ward  would  bless 
the  shadow  as  she  passed  of  this  second  “lady  of 
the  lamp.” 

When  the  sun  peeped  in  through  the  window, 
all  Little  Small-Feet’s  terror  would  fly  away  and 
her  merry  laugh  would  ring  out  through  the 


78  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


corridors,  the  fears  that  lurked  in  the  darkness 
quite  forgotten.  She  constituted  herself  the 
tutor  of  the  other  little  children  in  the  ward, 
and  there  was  nothing  she  liked  better  than  to 
lead  the  tots  by  the  hand  through  the  hospital 
and  explain  to  them  the  queer  ways  of  the 
strangers  from  beyond  the  seas.  One  lovely 
afternoon,  Little  Small-Feet  was  seen  guiding 
a small  cripple  carefully  down  the  ward,  and 
in  their  progress  they  paused  for  a brief 
moment  below  a print  of  Christ  blessing  the 
children. 

“And  who  is  this  ‘heaven-born  man’?”  the  lame 
boy  asked  in  an  awed  whisper,  pointing  upward 
to  the  picture. 

“I  do  not  know  very  much  about  him  yet,  for  I 
am  very  stupid,”  hesitated  the  girl,  “but  he  is  a 
friend  of  my  Great  Helpful  Lady,  because  she 
told  me  so,  and  you  can  see  that  he  must  be,  for 
he  holds  the  little  ones  in  his  arms  with  a great 
love  in  his  face,  just  the  way  my  lady  does  the 
hospital  babies.”  Then  perfectly  satisfied  they 
resumed  their  halting  journey. 

That  evening  when  the  nurse  went  to  bid  Little 
Small-Feet  good-night  she  found  her  weeping 
grievously. 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


79 


“Why,  Little  Small-Feet,  what  in  the  world  is 
the  matter?”  inquired  her  friend  in  some  alarm. 

“O  my  Great  Helpful  Lady,  I am  eating  bit- 
terness and  my  heart  is  not  at  rest  because  of  all 
of  the  little  children  out  in  the  streets  with  no  one 
to  care  for  them.  When  I was  with  them  I did 
not  know  children  ever  were  happy,  and  I was  so 
miserable  myself  that  I did  not  care.  But  now 
sometimes  when  I am  at  play  and  think  of  those 
children,  I feel  that  I can  never  smile  again.” 
“Ah,  Little  Small-Feet,  we  need  your  smile 
here  of  all  places ; it  is  your  part  to  make  the  sad 
people  gay.  Perhaps  some  day  you  will  tell  me 
more  about  the  children  and  we  can  think  of  a 
way  to  help  them.” 

“Well,  I have  thought  of  one  thing  but  it 
sounds  foolish  for  a little  girl;  I should  like  to 
study  very,  very  hard  and  learn  to  be  a doctor; 
then  perhaps  I could  make  people  well  the  way 
you  do.  I could  go  out  in  the  streets  and  look 
for  beggar  children,  for  I know  all  their  haunts, 
and  I could  make  them  well  and  happy,  too.” 
“Why,  what  a nice  idea!”  exclaimed  her  friend, 
“I  will  certainly  try  to  help  you  by  seeing  that 
you  have  the  best  education  a woman  can  receive. 
You  shall  study  in  my  own  country  and  after- 


80  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


wards  you  can  come  back  and  we  will  work  to- 
gether.” Then  she  laughed:  “What  castles  in 
the  air  we  have  been  building  when  you  should 
have  been  asleep.  There  are  many  streams  to 
cross  and  oceans,  too,  before  they  can  come  true. 
But  the  only  way  to  make  dreams  really  happen 
is  to  be  willing  to  sacrifice  everything  for  them, 
our  pleasures,  our  time,  and  our  comfort.  So 
good-night,  little  schemer,  and  in  the  morning  we 
will  see  what  we  can  do.” 

Early  next  day  when  the  nurse  stopped  for 
a moment  before  an  open  window,  and  was  drink- 
ing in  the  scent  of  the  lilacs,  she  heard  Little 
Small-Feet’s  voice  and,  turning  suddenly,  found 
the  child  making  deep  ceremonial  bows  before 
her — the  bows  that  Old  Wang  Dah  Mah  had 
taught  her  in  those  happy  days  so  long  forgotten. 

“Well,  dear  little  Peach  Blossom,”  said  her 
friend,  “what  is  it  now?” 

“O  gracious  lady,  may  I go  to  school  and  learn 
to  read?  Pao  Tse1  is  much  smaller  than  I and 
she  can  recognize  many  characters,  and  she 
knows  the  ‘Girl’s  Classic’  by  heart,  and  Tien  Sih1 

1 Pao  Tse  means  Precious  Thing.  Tien  Sih  should  be 
translated  Heavenly  Piety,  though  in  this  case,  Earthly 
Mischief  would  have  been  far  more  appropriate. 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


81 


too  has  learned  the  ‘Rules  for  the  Behavior  of 
Children,’  and  I can  repeat  them  from  hearing 
him  say  them  so  many  times.  You  know,  he  is 
really  very  dull  and  it  takes  a long  time  to  learn 
things” — and  in  a laughable  imitation  of  Tien 
Sill’s  singsong,  Little  Small-Feet  recited, 

“Awake  with  the  morning,  arise  with  the  sun. 

Retire  late  at  night  when  your  lessons  are  done, 
Remember  that  age  will  come  easily  on, 

Utilize  youth,  it  will  quickly  be  gone.’’ 

“Well,  small  pleader,  are  there  any  more  argu- 
ments?” asked  her  friend,  smiling  down  into  the 
eager,  upturned  face. 

“Yes,  yes.  You  remember  about  little  Che 
Wu  who  lived  hundreds  of  years  ago?  He  was 
so  eager  to  read  that  he  learned  by  the  pale 
moonlight  reflected  from  the  snow.” 

“There  is  no  danger  of  Tien  Sih’s  ruining  his 
eyes  in  that  manner  at  any  rate,”  laughed  the 
lady.  “As  for  you  I am  glad  that  you  want  to 
learn,  and  I will  teach  you  myself  every  day,  for 
it  is  too  late  to  begin  school  this  year,  as  it  will 
soon  close  for  the  summer,  but  when  we  are  away 
in  the  mountains  we  ought  to  accomplish  a great 
deal.” 

Little  Small-Feet  had  never  heard  more  de- 


82  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


lightful  news,  and  she  fairly  danced  with  glee. 
The  thought  of  being  taught  by  her  lady  and  that 
they  were  to  go  together  to  the  mountains,  was 
almost  too  much  joy;  it  went  to  her  head  like 
wine,  and  she  went  to  find  some  one  to  share  in 
the  good  news. 

As  she  ran  out  into  the  garden  on  whom  should 
her  eyes  rest  but  Tien  Sih,  playing  some  fascinat- 
ing game  with  ball  and  string.  “O  Tien  Sih, 
Tien  Sih,”  she  called,  “guess  what  beautiful 
thing  is  to  happen?” 

Tien  Sih,  though  wild  to  know,  assumed  after 
the  manner  of  his  sex  manly  indifference.  Alas, 
why  do  such  tactics  always  prove  successful? 

“I  am  going  to  school  and  to  the  mountains 
with  my  gracious  Helpful  Lady,”  Little  Small- 
Feet  continued,  longing  for  sympathy. 

Instead  of  the  sympathy  she  expected,  a wave 
of  jealousy  struck  like  a dart  through  Tien  Sih’s 
masculine  soul;  no  one  had  urged  him  to  accom- 
pany them  to  the  mountains;  in  fact  the  urging 
would  have  been  all  the  other  way. 

“What’s  the  use  of  going  to  school,  when  you 
are  too  big  a coward  to  go  to  Sunday  school 
with  me?” 

“You  know  I’ve  been  forbidden  to  go  outside 


iif  WJM11 


Pl.AYIXti  (i A. MISS  1\  THK  HONPITAI  lOMl’Ol  Ml 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


83 


the  compound  without  a grown-up  person,  and 
if  you  had  ever  seen  Old  Scarred  Face  you  would 
be  afraid,  too.” 

“I  am  afraid  of  nothing,  for  I’m  a man.  I 
could  kill  a tiger  or  a wolf  as  easy — but  you  are 
a coward  and  a beggar,  and  you  can  never  go  to 
school  without  leaving  the  compound,  so  that  is 
settled.” 

Little  Small-Feet  had  plenty  of  temper  of  a 
very  spicy  brand,  and  to  be  called  a beggar  and  a 
coward  was  adding  insult  to  insult.  In  her 
wanderings  she  had  learned  to  fight  for  her  own 
protection  and  her  companions  had  a decided 
respect  for  her  prowess.  She  sprang  at  Tien  Sih, 
who  was  not  expecting  such  an  onslaught,  and 
never  in  his  life  before  had  the  boy  been  so  thor- 
oughly punished.  The  little  girl  used  all  the  ap- 
proved methods  of  beggardom,  tooth,  nails,  and 
feet,  and  Tien  Sih  soon  fled  before  the  tempest. 

“You’re  afraid  all  the  same,  and  a horrid  beg- 
gar as  well!”  he  called  after  her  and  hurried  off 
to  tell  his  father  that  Little  Small-Feet  was  not 
a fit  playmate  for  decent,  well-brought-up  boys 
like  himself,  of  good  family,  too,  whose  father 
was  cook  of  a prominent  hospital  and  making 
such  a fortune  out  of  it. 


84  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Tien  Sih’s  father  told  him  plainly  to  hold  his 
tongue  about  the  fortune.  “Think  twice  and  say 
nothing,”  would  be  a fitting  motto  for  him  here- 
after. However,  the  man  was  indignant  that  a 
beggar  brat  should  have  had  the  effrontery  to 
treat  any  child  of  his  with  such  indignity,  and  he 
started  immediately  for  headquarters  with  his 
complaint. 

Poor  Little  Small-Feet,  brought  up  by  an 
amah  and  then  by  Old  Scarred  Face,  knew  no 
resource  in  such  a crisis  but  to  make  up  a story. 
Alas,  it  did  not  hold  water!  There  were  too 
many  witnesses,  and  so  she  stood  convicted.  Her 
Great  Helpful  Lady  looked  and  talked  in  such  a 
sorrowful  manner  that  Little  Small-Feet’s  heart 
was  nearly  broken  and  this  taught  her  more  than 
many  punishments  the  necessity  of  truthfulness 
if  she  wished  to  please  her  friend. 

The  children,  however,  had  not  confessed  to  the 
cause  of  the  quarrel  and  so  the  next  Sunday  when 
Tien  Sih  said,  “If  you  are  really  sorry  for  fight- 
ing me  you  will  go  with  me  to  Sunday  school,” 
Little  Small-Feet  decided  that  this  was  the  only 
way  to  show  her  deep  repentance,  and  consented 
to  go.  They  watched  until  they  saw  the  gate- 
keeper walk  to  the  hospital  on  an  errand,  then 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


85 


they  slipped  out  of  the  gate  and  started  with 
stout  hearts  down  the  lane.  They  made  their 
first  turn  safely  and  were  happily  engaged  in 
talking  about  what  they  were  about  to  see  when 
a skinny  arm,  extended  from  behind  a stone  wall, 
clutched  the  all-unsuspecting  Tien  Sih  by  the 
queue.  Very  much  astonished  they  turned  to  see 
before  them  a horrid- looking  beggar  woman, 
mouthing  at  them  in  triumph.  Little  Small- 
Feet’s  first  instinct  was  to  run,  but  she  could  not 
leave  Tien  Sih  in  Old  Scarred  Face’s  clutches,  so 
made  bold  by  fear,  she  flew  at  the  woman  scream- 
ing desperately  for  aid. 

Help  was  not  far  away,  for  the  hospital  doctor 
had  seen  the  children  disappear  through  the  gate- 
way and  had  hurriedly  followed  them,  and  when 
Old  Scarred  Face  heard  footsteps  behind  her,  she 
quickly  fled. 

This  incident  proved  only  too  clearly  Old 
Scarred  Face’s  malice  and  from  that  day  for- 
ward none  of  the  children  dared  to  venture  out 
alone.  As  for  Little  Small-Feet,  for  many  years 
her  prayers  ended:  “Please  don’t  let  Old  Scarred 
Face  get  me!  Amen.” 

At  length  the  July  heat  blew  over  the  city  like 
the  hot  breath  of  a dragon  and  the  day  arrived 


86  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


for  the  long-desired  trip  to  the  hills.  Little 
Small-Feet  had  talked  mountains,  eaten  moun- 
tains, and  dreamed  mountains  for  the  past  few 
weeks,  but  when  the  moment  of  departure  finally 
arrived,  the  busy  tongue  was  quiet;  her  joy  was 
beyond  all  the  powers  of  speech.  The  whole 
available  population  from  the  foreign  concession 
was  at  the  gate  to  see  them  off.  Little  Pao  Tse 
and  Tien  Sih  were  there,  green  with  very  un- 
heavenly  envy,  and  the  doctor,  the  nurses,  and  all 
the  servants,  down  to  the  water  coolies,  crowded 
around  to  wish  them  a prosperous  journey  and  a 
safe  return. 

As  Little  Small-Feet  climbed  to  her  place,  she 
was  the  happiest  child  in  the  whole  Middle  King- 
dom, but  as  they  moved  from  the  gates,  she  saw 
with  horror,  on  the  outskirts  of  the  crowd  of 
curious  neighbors,  the  leering  face  of  her  old 
enemy.  It  was  seven  miles  to  the  landing  where 
they  were  to  take  the  steamer,  and  their  progress 
was  necessarily  slow,  and  half  that  distance  Old 
Scarred  Face  followed  them,  reviling  horribly, 
until  at  length  the  coolies  drove  her  away.  Poor 
Little  Small-Feet  was  half  dead  with  terror.  It 
was  a sad  beginning,  indeed,  to  the  longed-for 
summer.  The  child  had  ceased  to  believe  in  ma- 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


87 


lignant  spirits  but  memories  of  old  superstitions 
clung  to  her  mind  like  cobwebs.  Could  it  be  pos- 
sible that  her  dear  lady  was  mistaken,  after  all, 
and  that  the  mischievous  beings  were  urging  Old 
Scarred  Face  on,  and  laughing  at  Little  Small- 
Feet  up  their  sleeves  all  the  time?  She  almost 
wished  that  she  had  done  as  Tien  Sih  had  ad- 
vised and  put  on  a charm  against  the  evil  eye,  for 
Tien  Sih,  although  he  attended  Sunday  school 
regularly,  felt  that  it  was  wise  to  keep  in  favor 
with  both  sides. 

The  river  steamers  that  ply  the  waters  of  the 
great  empire  are  tied  down  to  no  fixed  schedule ; 
they  arrive  at  any  hour  and  depart  when  their 
cargo  has  been  discharged.  The  traveler  soon 
learns  not  to  fret  at  delay,  or  murmur  if  he 
reaches  the  w'harf  and  finds  that  the  boat  for  that 
day  has  already  departed.  Little  Small-Feet 
and  her  friend  made  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
they  could  on  the  dirty  hulk  with  coolies  and 
hotel  runners  curled  up  and  asleep  in  almost 
every  available  spot.  The  steamer  was  even  later 
than  usual  and  would  not  arrive  for  several 
hours.  The  heat  grew  more  and  more  intense, 
while  the  odors  from  all  sorts  of  merchandise 
seemed  to  stifle  them.  They  moved  from  spot  to 


88  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


spot  in  a vain  attempt  to  find  some  air  stirring, 
while  their  faithful  amah  sat  as  contemplatively 
as  a Buddha,  guarding  their  heap  of  luggage. 

They  had  been  waiting  several  hours  when 
suddenly  one  of  the  men  in  charge  of  the  wharf 
came  running  toward  them. 

“Quick!  You  must  hide!”  he  exclaimed. 
“You  are  in  grave  danger  here,  follow  me!” 
Without  hesitation  they  followed  him,  as  he  led 
the  way  between  high  bales  of  goods  reaching 
yards  above  their  heads.  It  was  dark  and 
stifling,  but  on  they  went  to  the  farthest  end  of 
the  hulk,  and  there  he  showed  them  where  they 
could  creep  under  some  loose  straw  that  might 
perhaps  hide  them.  He  heaped  some  empty  bar- 
rels around  them,  leaving  at  the  lady’s  request  a 
small  peephole  from  which  they  could  see  down 
the  river  and  watch  for  the  approach  of  the  boat. 

“What  has  happened,  and  why  do  you  hide  us 
here?”  the  astonished  lady  exclaimed. 

“A  swift  messenger  has  just  arrived  from  the 
city,  saying  that  an  angry  mob  of  beggars  and 
riffraff  are  coming,  and  they  swear  they  will  kill 
you  and  take  the  child.  They  claim  that  you 
have  stolen  her  for  the  sake  of  killing  her,  because 
you  want  her  bones  for  medicine.  Some  of  the 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


89 


city  people  have  become  alarmed  and  have  joined 
in  the  riot.” 

“How  does  it  happen  that  you  care  to  save 
us?”  whispered  the  nurse,  “and  where  are  amah 
and  the  boy?” 

“Do  you  not  remember  me?  My  unworthy 
name  is  Meng,  and  I was  cured  at  the  hospital. 
I believe  the  doctrine  and  I can  never  forget 
your  gracious  kindness.  If  you  stay  here  I think 
you  will  be  safe,  and  I will  tell  the  mob  that  they 
cannot  enter  the  hulk  unless  they  buy  their  tick- 
ets. I think  that  I can  keep  them  until  the  boat 
comes.  The  amah  and  boy  are  Chinese  and  safe 
enough.” 

One  man’s  loyalty  alone  lay  between  them  and 
an  awful  fate.  On  what  a slender  thread  their 
safety  depended ! 

“Pray  now.  Little  Small-Feet,  if  you  have 
never  prayed  before!”  softly  whispered  the  lady 
in  whose  steady  tones  there  was  never  a quaver. 

“And  are  you  suffering  this  danger  for  me,  for 
me?”  sobbed  the  child. 

“There  was  One  who  suffered  far  more  than 
this  for  me,  little  one!” 

The  distant  clamor  of  the  mob  could  soon  be 
heard  like  the  roar  of  surf  beating  against  the 


90  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


rocks.  The  sound  of  running  feet  approached 
nearer  and  the  cries  of  men  and  women  out  for 
blood,  and  as  they  became  louder  the  cries  were 
horrible. 

“It’s  like  the  cry  of  the  pack !”  thought  the  lady. 

The  heat  was  suffocating,  when  suddenly  a 
breeze  that  had  been  playing  languidly  around 
the  wharf  seemed  to  sense  that  an  old  friend 
needed  succor,  for  running  out  over  the  water,  it 
suddenly  turned  and,  making  little  ripples  on  the 
current,  blew  gently  across  their  hiding  place  and 
revived  their  fainting  spirits. 

The  two  refugees  thus  huddled  together 
scarcely  dared  to  breathe;  would  their  protector 
be  loyal  or  would  terror  turn  him  traitor?  Then 
above  the  din  of  the  mob  sounded  the  shrill 
whistle  of  a steamer  and  the  pant  of  an  engine. 
The  boat  was  coming  at  last!  The  crowd  heard 
it,  too,  and  tried  to  rush  the  hulk,  but  their  friend 
stood  steadfast. 

“You  will  answer  to  the  governor  if  you  step 
across  this  plank.  There  are  men  here  who  know 
you  and  your  names  will  be  reported.  There  is 
Old  Scarred  Face,  and  Lord  Chang  is  searching 
for  her  now,  and  he  is  not  so  far  north  but  his 
arm  can  reach  her.” 


WHEN  VIOLETS  CAME  AGAIN 


91 


These  bold  words  frightened  the  leaders;  they 
saw  the  boat  drawing  near  and  the  faces  of  the 
foreign  officers  staring  inquiringly  from  the  deck. 
These  men  were  undoubtedly  armed  and  they 
would  not  hesitate  to  use  their  arms  for  the  pro- 
tection of  the  lady  and  a little  girl.  Such 
barbarians  were  reckless  with  weapons  when  it 
came  to  protecting  women  and  children.  The 
quicker  they  turned  heel  the  better  for  them,  and 
the  crowd  melted  away  like  hoarfrost. 

Kind  hands  assisted  the  trembling  woman  and 
half-fainting  child  to  the  deck.  When  they  were 
safely  in  their  cabin,  the  Great  Helpful  Lady 
leaned  over  the  berth  where  Little  Small-Feet 
lay  weeping. 

“Ah,  my  child,  we  know  now  what  it  means 
when  it  says,  ‘He  will  give  his  angels  charge  over 
thee,  to  keep  thee  in  all  thy  ways,’  and  are  not 
angels  better  than  evil  spirits,  Little  Small- 
Feet?”  she  asked  with  a radiant  smile.  And  the 
thoughtful  little  breezes  wandered  away  to  do 
some  other  gentle  deed  in  a breathless,  panting 
city. 


CHAPTER  VI 


WHERE  THE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 

Satin  sails  in  a crimson  dawn 
Over  the  silky  silver  sea; 

Purple  veils  of  the  dark  withdrawn; 

Heavens  of  pearl  and  porphyry; 

Purple  and  white  in  the  morning  light 
Over  the  water  the  town  we  knew. 

In  tiny  state,  like  a willow-plate, 

Shone,  and  behind  it  the  hills  were  blue. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 


OVER  the  great  river  the  summer  brooded. 

On  the  shore  the  sun  poured  down  with  fiery 
heat  drawing  up  clouds  of  fine  moisture,  but  the 
progress  of  the  steamer  made  a refreshing  breeze 
upon  the  deck  that  revived  weary  bodies.  Here, 
at  least,  there  was  no  danger  from  wandering 
mendicants;  surely  now  Little  Small-Feet  could 
throw  off  the  terror  that  had  followed  her, 
waking  and  sleeping,  for  so  many  months. 

How  different  was  this  swift  journey  from  the 
heartbreaking  travels  of  former  years,  when  foot- 
sore and  weary  the  waif  had  been  dragged  from 
town  to  town,  and  her  life  had  been  one  long 


92 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


93 


round  of  misery!  For  two  days  the  shores 
slipped  by  in  a never-ending  pageant  and  on  the 
morning  of  the  third,  around  a curve  in  the  river, 
in  the  early  sunrise,  they  saw  the  town  where  they 
were  to  disembark,  and  behind  it,  like  the  back- 
ground of  a screen,  the  hills  rose,  blue  and 
amethyst. 

Of  course,  there  wras  a long  delay  before  the 
steamer  wras  finally  fastened  to  the  hulk  and  the 
gangplank  lowered,  and  an  endless  parley  with 
quarreling  coolies  before  they  could  climb  into 
their  chairs  and  feel  that  the  last  lap  of  their  trip 
was  now  before  them.  But  at  length  they  were 
off,  through  the  tortuous  streets  and  under  the 
gateway  in  the  great  city  wall,  then  out  on 
the  plains  with  the  hot,  hazy  clouds  above,  and  the 
tiny  fields  like  a patchwork  quilt  around  them. 
The  paths  were  elevated  above  the  surrounding 
country  which  lay  ankle  deep  in  water.  Oh,  the 
green  of  the  rice  as  it  simmered  in  the  sun,  and 
the  purple  mountains  in  the  background,  as  they 
rose  wave  on  wave  from  the  foothills  at  their  feet! 

After  swinging  for  an  hour  or  twro  past  tiny 
villages  and  endless  laborers  tilling  their  crops, 
the  character  of  the  country  began  to  change. 
The  ground  became  more  broken  and  the  path 


94  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


began  to  ascend,  and  as  they  ascended  the  beauty 
grew  at  every  step  of  the  way.  Into  cuplike  val- 
leys they  went  where  cool  streams  tinkled,  and 
the  lush  grass  grew  deep  with  lilies  and  other 
wild  flowers.  Higher  still,  their  road  edged 
precipices  and  a false  step  would  have  hurled 
them  thousands  of  feet  into  some  unseen  torrent. 
Sometimes  the  path  would  be  nothing  but  a series 
of  roughhewn  steps,  up  which  their  coolies  would 
bear  them  as  lightly  as  if  they  had  been  thistle- 
down. And  the  summit,  at  sunset,  when  all  the 
valleys  were  filled  with  changing',  opalescent 
light,  and  far,  far  below  the  mighty  river  wound 
its  way  through  the  plain,  looking  like  a thread 
of  gold  in  a sea  of  pink  and  lavender! 

“O  my  Great  Helpful  Lady,  I never  dreamed 
that  any  place  in  the  world  could  be  half  so  beau- 
tiful as  this,”  cried  Little  Small-Feet.  “I  do  not 
think  even  Old  Scarred  Face  could  be  wicked 
here,  but,”  she  added  wistfully,  “I  am  afraid  she 
has  lost  the  habit  of  being  good.” 

As  if  to  make  amends  for  the  past  roughness 
of  her  life,  the  summer  months  treated  Little 
Small-Feet  very  gently.  The  days  were  fierce 
with  heat,  but  every  evening  fresh  breezes 
wandered  down  the  valley  and  cooled  the  bunga- 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


95 


lows  that  lay  in  the  shadow  of  the  mountains. 
The  summer  showers  seemed  to  beat  with  less 
fury  than  usual,  and  for  whole  days  at  a time 
they  had  no  rain  at  all.  In  spite  of  picnics  and 
hours  spent  in  the  open  air,  Little  Small-Feet 
had  to  be  conducted  along  the  thorny  road  to 
knowdedge,  so  a certain  part  of  each  day  was  set 
aside  for  study.  Could  it  have  been  that  her 
decided  aptitude  for  learning  was  inherited  from 
ancestors  who  boasted  there  had  been  scholars  in 
the  family  as  far  back  as  the  sage  Confucius? 
One  never  knows  but,  if  so,  it  was  a help  she  did 
not  realize;  Little  Small-Feet  only  bemoaned  the 
fact  that  she  had  been  born  a stupid  girl,  for  the 
taunts  of  Old  Scarred  Face  and  the  imp,  Tien 
Sih,  were  not  forgotten. 

“Why,  Little  Small-Feet,  Old  Scarred  F ace  is 
a woman  herself.  I do  not  see  why  you  care 
about  what  she  said ; I am  a woman,  too,  and  do 
you  think  me  so  outrageously  dull?”  asked  her 
friend  one  day  after  the  child  had  remarked,  “I 
wish  I had  been  born  a boy.” 

“You  are  everything  that  is  wonderful!”  the 
girl  answered.  “But  if  I had  been  born  a boy, 
my  parents  would  have  tried  to  get  me  back  when 
I was  stolen;  being  only  a girl  I was  not  desired.” 


96  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


When  Autumn  with  her  artist’s  colors  had 
begun  to  turn  their  mountain  top  to  red  and  gold, 
the  friends  knew  that  there  must  be  no  more  dal- 
lying on  these  mountain  paths  and  by  the  still 
river  pools,  even  though  their  charm  seemed  to 
grow  day  by  day  more  potent.  There  was  a city 
lying  on  the  plain  whose  cry  rang  in  their  ears, 
and  the  lady  knew  that  she  was  one  of  the  few 
who  had  the  mystic  touch  that  could  bring  peace 
and  healing  there. 

“Are  there  not  many  nurses  and  doctors  in 
your  so  great  and  noble  country?”  asked  Little 
Small-Feet  the  last  day  before  their  departure. 

“Yes,  Little  Small-Feet,  many,  many  hun- 
dreds,” her  friend  replied,  as  she  thought  of  the 
number  of  doctors’  signs  on  one  street  of  an 
Occidental  city,  and  the  countless  nurses  sitting 
in  their  rooms  waiting  in  vain  for  a possible  case. 

“Well,  I should  think,  if  they  really  studied  to 
be  nurses  and  doctors  for  the  sake  of  making 
people  well,  they  would  try  to  go  where  the  need 
was  greatest  and  they  could  help  most  people.  I 
know  I would.” 

“Ah,  little  one,  some  do  not  know  about  the 
need  here;  indeed,  I believe  the  majority  of  them 
do  not.  They  are  woefully  ignorant  of  anything 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


97 


that  happens  outside  the  border  of  their  own 
town.  You  must  remember,  too,  that  it  takes  a 
great  amount  of  pity  for  others  to  make  men 
turn  their  backs  on  comforts  and  home  and  go  to 
a strange,  hostile  country  that  does  not  want 
them  because  it  does  not  understand  their  mo- 
tives. Homesickness  is  a terrible  thing  to  fight 
and  one  must  have  a big  vision  to  be  able  to  leave 
friends  for  strangers  one  has  never  seen.” 

“Oh,  my  lady,  are  you  so  sorry,  then,  that  you 

“Not  for  a moment;  a person  who  has  seen  the 
suffering  could  never  regret  any  sacrifice.  Why, 
you  alone  make  me  glad.” 

“Yes,  I should  be  dead  by  now  if  you  had  not 
come.” 

“Little  Small-Feet,  if  Old  Scarred  Face  were 
dying  of  some  ailment  you  could  cure,  would  you 
try  to  save  her  or  wrould  you  let  her  die?” 

The  child  hesitated,  for  this  question  was 
wholly  unexpected.  “I  do  not  know,”  she 
answered  bravely.  “Of  course  you  would,  but 
then  you  do  not  know  Old  Scarred  Face.  If  I 
did  cure  her,  I wrould  see  that  she  was  put  into 
some  place  where  she  could  do  no  more  harm  to 
little  children.” 


98  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“So  would  I,”  said  her  friend.  “Fortunately 
we  shall  probably  never  be  put  to  the  test.” 

The  next  day  with  sober  faces  they  turned  the 
key  on  the  little  bungalow  that  had  sheltered 
them  all  summer  and  again  trusted  their  lives  and 
their  possessions  to  the  hands  of  the  coolies.  The 
return  journey  was  made  uneventfully  but  who 
will  blame  Little  Small-Feet  for  casting  many 
apprehensive  glances  on  the  shore,  as  their 
steamer  slowly  approached  the  hulk? 

“Why  do  you  tremble,  little  one,  and  look  so 
pale?”  asked  her  friend.  “Old  Scarred  Face  is 
at  the  other  end  of  the  kingdom  by  now.  From 
what  you  tell  me  she  has  probably  a great  many 
more  important  things  to  attend  to  than  to  watch 
one  small  girl  from  whom  she  can  wring  no 
money.” 

“You  will  never  understand  a person  like  Old 
Scarred  Face,  my  lady.  You  would  not  be  you 
if  you  could.  She  has  beggars  everywhere  and 
they  send  word  from  mouth  to  mouth,  telling 
what  her  enemies  are  doing.  She  never  forgives 
anyone  whom  she  thinks  has  wronged  her,  and 
she  loves  to  torment  them  as  a cat  does  a mouse. 
And,”  here  the  child  whispered  very  softly,  as 
if  her  slightest  word  would  he  borne  by  the 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


99 


wind  to  some  unfriendly  ear,  “the  dreadful  part 
is,  she  always  does  manage  to  get  the  people  in 
the  end.  What  if  she  should  get  you,  too?  I 
never  could  bear  it!” 

“Don’t  forget  the  angels  who  are  to  take  care 
of  us,  Little  Small-Feet,”  answered  the  lady  with 
a bright  smile. 

Whether  Little  Small-Feet  was  right  or  not, 
the  first  few  months  of  their  return  were  abso- 
lutely without  alarm.  The  foreigners  heard  a 
rumor  on  the  street  that  Old  Scarred  Face  had 
been  banished  from  the  city  on  account  of  the 
riot,  which  had  endangered  some  very  delicate 
negotiations  at  the  capital  and  had  in  conse- 
quence brought  down  official  wrath  on  the  ring- 
leaders. The  fact  that  some  of  the  foreign  gov- 
ernments were  growing  restless  over  the  treat- 
ment given  to  their  citizens  in  out-of-the-way 
places  kept  the  official  class  on  their  good  behav- 
ior, and  the  staff  of  the  hospital  felt  more  secure 
from  insult  than  they  had  in  years.  Prejudice 
seemed  to  be  melting,  and  here  and  there  one 
could  find  a more  enlightened  person  who  would 
admit  in  a half-hearted  way  that  there  might 
after  all  be  something  good  in  the  strange  medi- 
cine and  the  new  doctrine  they  had  heard  in  the 


100  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


wards.  These  things  all  combined  to  lighten  the 
air  of  dread  in  which  Little  Small-Feet  lived. 
No  precaution  was  omitted  that  was  needed  for 
her  safety,  but  her  life  was  freer  and  happier. 

The  irrepressible  Tien  Sih,  too,  began  to  feel 
that  it  might  be  to  his  advantage  and  to  the  ad- 
vantage of  his  worthy  father,  the  cook,  to  treat 
on  almost  equal  terms  the  child  who  had  basked 
all  summer  in  the  favor  of  the  matron  of  the  hos- 
pital. So  he  led  the  two  little  girls,  Pao  Tse  and 
Little  Small-Feet,  into  very  much  trouble  first 
and  last. 

Then  one  bright  morning  in  September  an- 
other of  Little  Small-Feet’s  dreams  came  true. 
Before  the  sun  had  sent  the  tiniest  shaft  of  gold 
into  her  room,  the  child  was  awake  and  dressing. 
Fondly  she  fingered  her  pretty,  blue,  grass-linen 
coat,  and  very  neatly  she  adjusted  each  string 
and  saw  that  it  was  tied  in  exactly  the  knot  eti- 
quette demands.  Her  shoes  were  a great  source 
of  pleasure,  for  she  had  made  every  stitch  her- 
self even  to  the  stuffing  of  the  quilted  sole  and 
she  felt  that  her  sewing  would  hear  the  closest 
examination. 

“Now,”  she  said  to  herself  in  triumph,  “I  am 
exactly  like  any  other  little  girl!”  There  being 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


101 


no  curly-headed  Anglo-Saxon  present  to  look 
surprised,  this  statement  went  unchallenged. 
Then  she  ran  to  her  friend’s  room  for  a general 
inspection.  “It  seems  as  if  all  the  country  must 
be  glad  to-day!”  the  child  exclaimed. 

“If  the  people  realized  what  the  education  of 
their  girls  is  going  to  do  for  the  nation,  there 
would  be  bonfires  and  firecrackers  set  off  all  over 
this  great  city,”  answered  her  friend. 

Holding  tightly  to  the  lady’s  hand,  Little 
Small-Feet  set  off  to  school;  her  eyes  sparkled 
and  her  feet  would  have  danced  but  for  the  Girl’s 
Classic,  which  had  taught  from  the  earliest  times 
that  a maiden  should  be  dignified. 

“Let  your  laugh  be  never  boisterous, 

Nor  converse  in  noisy  way, 

Lest  your  neighbors  all  about  you  hear  whatever  you 
may  say; 

Then  be  dignified  in  walking,  and  be  orderly  in  gait. 
Never  lean  against  a doorpost,  but  in  standing,  stand  up 
straight.” 

Soon  they  arrived  at  their  destination  and  were 
properly  introduced.  When  the  teacher  entered 
the  classroom  each  girl  rose  in  her  place  and  gave 
her  deep  bow  of  respect  to  the  most  honorable 
lady,  and  then  at  last  Little  Small-Feet  felt  that 


102  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


she  had  left  the  rank  of  the  beggars  and  could 
take  her  place  among  the  scholars,  and  what  a 
joy  was  hers! 

The  tiny  god  of  mischief  must  have  been  jeal- 
ous of  such  a quick  road  to  success,  for  not  more 
than  a week  had  elapsed  before  trouble  befell. 
The  teacher  was  called  away  by  a servant  in  the 
midst  of  one  of  the  recitations;  expecting  to  re- 
turn in  a minute,  she  ordered  the  girls  to  continue 
studying;  but  alas,  scarcely  was  her  back  turned 
when  a great  noise  arose  in  the  street  below! 

“It’s  a wedding,”  exclaimed  a girl.  “The 
great  official’s  daughter  is  to  be  married  to-day.” 

Was  there  ever  a woman  anywhere  who  did 
not  grow  excited  at  the  thought  of  a wedding? 
The  window  was  high  above  their  heads,  placed 
there  on  purpose  to  prevent  the  girls  from  gazing 
out  or  from  being  seen  by  curious  passers-by. 
Quick  as  thought,  Little  Small-Feet,  to  whom  a 
great  many  of  the  rules  of  conduct  for  girls  were 
unfamiliar,  climbed  on  a bench  and  peered  eag- 
erly out  of  the  window.  There  was  a hush  of 
consternation,  then  the  other  girls  did  the  same, 
and  when  after  five  minutes  the  teacher  returned, 
the  pupils  were  all  so  absorbed  that  they  did  not 
hear  her  entrance.  And  after  all  it  was  not  a 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


103 


wedding  but  a few  wandering  priests  begging  for 
alms  and  being  roundly  reviled  by  old  Li  Sao  Tze 
because  inadvertently  they  had  upset  a bucket  of 
small  fish  standing  at  her  door! 

Punishment  immediately  followed.  There  was 
no  doubt  about  the  children’s  guilt ; they  had  been 
caught  in  the  act.  Made  wise  by  past  experience, 
Little  Small-Feet  confessed  her  share  and  Pao 
Tze,  fired  by  her  brave  example,  did  the  same. 
The  teacher  was  amazed;  never  in  her  whole 
career  of  teaching  had  a girl  voluntarily  admitted 
wrongdoing.  She  decided  that  it  came  from  an 
unbecoming  boldness  on  Little  Small-Feet’s 
part.  In  a twinkling  she  had  sent  the  children 
home,  with  a note  to  their  guardians. 

Ah,  if  she  could  have  seen  the  depths  of  Little 
Small-Feet’s  humiliation,  she  would  have  drawn 
some  other  conclusion.  Pao  Tze  took  it  lightly, 
rather  pleased  than  otherwise  to  have  a holiday. 
But  Little  Small-Feet  wept  all  day  long  and 
refused  to  eat  or  sleep,  and  in  the  evening  she 
told  her  friend  all  about  it. 

“They  will  say  that  it  was  because  I was  a 
beggar  child  and  will  not  want  me  in  the  school,” 
she  wailed.  “My,  why  do  I do  wrong  when  I try 
so  hard  to  be  good?” 


104  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


If  only  Wang  Dah  Mali  had  heard  her,  she 
would  have  shaken  her  head  and  said:  “You  are 
bound  to  be  unlucky;  you  cannot  fail  to  be.  It  is 
because  the  pagoda  bells  were  silent  at  your 
birth;  it  was  your  parents’  fault;  they  should 
have  seen  to  it  that  the  bells  were  rung!” 

But  the  lady  comforted  her  in  other  more 
practical  ways,  by  suggesting  that  she  study  her 
native  etiquette  so  that  she  should  not  again 
offend  against  the  rules  of  good  society.  Little 
Small-Feet  began  to  feel  that  obtaining  an  edu- 
cation was  to  cost  more  than  she  had  dreamed,  for 
it  was  not  until  her  aptitude  for  study  and  her 
proficiency  in  games  had  put  her  at  the  head  of 
the  school  that  the  girls  stopped  calling  her  “beg- 
gar child”  and  asking  if  she  had  seen  a wedding 
lately. 

Still  another  year  slipped  away,  and  another 
and  another.  In  all  this  time  no  word  was  heard 
from  Old  Scarred  Face  and  the  fear  of  her 
gradually  disappeared  from  the  child’s  mind,  so 
that  she  ceased  to  start  and  tremble  at  any  sud- 
den noise  and  to  look  apprehensively  over  her 
shoulder  at  the  sound  of  a strange  voice.  The 
little  girl  was  growing  from  a child  into  a sweet- 
faced, low-voiced  maiden.  Sometimes  in  her  ex- 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


105 


pression  there  would  he  a wistful  sadness  as 
if  she  was  looking  at  all  the  sorrow  of  all  the 
world;  at  other  times,  however,  she  would  be 
bright  and  gay;  but,  in  whatever  mood  she  was, 
she  was  very  winsome  and  drew  strangers  irre- 
sistibly to  her. 

At  length  came  a spring  when  the  Great  Help- 
ful Lady  was  to  return  to  her  own  land  and  take 
Little  Small-Feet  with  her  to  be  educated.  Sev- 
eral weeks  before  they  had  planned  to  sail,  the 
lady  decided  to  give  a birthday  party  for  her 
favorite  to  celebrate  the  time  when  Little  Small- 
Feet  had  first  arrived  at  the  hospital. 

Now  no  little  breezes  whispered  into  Little 
Small-Feet’s  ear  that  she  had  ever  had  a birthday 
party  before  and  she  was  just  as  excited  as 
if  it  wras  her  very  first.  As  she  had  no  recol- 
lection of  that  earlier  occasion,  this  one  seemed 
wonderful  to  her;  nor  did  it  worry  her  a bit  that 
the  highborn  ladies  in  the  City  That  Lies  in  the 
Shadow  of  Purple  Mountain  were  absolutely 
oblivious  of  this  social  event.  No  coats  and  skirts 
stiff  with  embroidery  were  taken  out  and  talked 
over  for  this  festivity,  and  the  caterers  through- 
out the  town  were  not  put  to  it  to  procure  enough 
shark  fins  to  suit  polite  palates. 


106  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Nor  were  costly  presents  worth  almost  a 
king’s  ransom  prepared,  but  all  the  schoolgirls 
were  stitching  away  in  odd  corners,  full  of  haste 
to  be  prepared  with  a surprise  for  their  friend 
when  the  auspicious  day  should  arrive.  For  the 
girls’  school  and  its  teachers  were  invited  and 
Tien  Sih’s  father  was  very  busy,  hoping  to  estab- 
lish his  reputation  forever.  Tien  Sih  himself  was 
for  once  full  of  regret  over  his  masculine  gender, 
for  of  course  it  would  not  be  proper  to  have  boys 
present — every  parent  would  have  protested  in 
horror  over  such  an  idea.  So  Tien  Sih  could  do 
nothing,  but  he  took  out  his  disappointment  in 
making  sarcastic  remarks  to  his  boy  friends  on 
the  outlandish  ways  of  foreigners,  who  were  turn- 
ing the  world  upside  down  and  taking  woman 
out  of  the  sphere  for  which  she  was  intended. 
Tien  Sih  at  the  age  of  fourteen  was  even  more 
unbearable  than  he  had  been  four  years  before — 
the  prosperity  of  his  father,  the  cook,  had  cer- 
tainly turned  his  head. 

The  hospital  grounds  had  never  looked  so 
lovely  as  on  the  afternoon  and  evening  of  that 
soft  spring  day,  and  the  garden  was  a bower  of 
blossoms.  Wonderful  lanterns  of  every  conceiv- 
able shape  were  hung  in  nooks  and  out-of-the- 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


107 


way  corners,  giving  just  the  uncertain  light  that 
turns  shrubbery  and  clumps  of  trees  into  fairy- 
land. The  tables  were  spread  in  the  center  of  the 
lawn,  and  strings  of  lanterns  above  them  added 
to  the  gavety  of  the  scene.  The  girls  in  their  soft 
blue  and  white  coats  were  not  unlike  the  flowers 
themselves,  and  the  buildings  rang  with  the  music 
of  happy  voices. 

Little  Small-Feet’s  prosperity  had  sweetened 
and  matured  her  in  many  ways  and  if  Wang  Dah 
Mah  had  seen  her  gentle,  courteous  greeting  of 
every  guest,  she  might  have  conceded  at  last  that 
the  spell  wrought  on  the  child  by  the  silent  pa- 
goda bells  had  ceased  to  have  effect.  However 
that  may  be,  it  is  a certain  fact  that  had  Little 
Small-Feet  been  told  the  story  of  her  enchant- 
ment she  would  have  heard  it  with  a smile,  for  her 
dread  of  evil  spirits  had  long  ago  fled. 

“It’s  the  evil  in  men’s  hearts  that  I am  afraid 
of,”  she  would  sajT,  with  a shudder  at  the  thought 
of  her  captivity. 

Of  all  the  people  in  the  compound — not  count- 
ing, of  course,  Little  Small-Feet  and  her  lady — 
the  patients  in  the  wards  were  the  happiest  that 
day,  for  at  the  girl’s  request  each  one  received  a 
bag  of  sweetmeats  or  a tiny  gift,  and  early  in  the 


108  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


evening  all  the  schoolgirls  gathered  beneath  the 
hospital  windows  and  sang  their  songs  and  glees. 

It  would  take  a ten-volume  account  to  describe 
all  the  cheer  and  the  good  will  at  that  party. 
Tien  Sih  himself,  the  sulky  one,  was  not  forgot- 
ten; besides,  he  and  the  whole  cook’s  family,  not 
to  mention  some  of  the  neighbors,  dined  many 
days  and  well  on  the  remnants.  In  the  end  Tien 
Sih  quite  reversed  his  opinion  about  the  emanci- 
pation of  women — for  even  in  the  Far  East  table 
dainties  seem  to  be  the  most  direct  road  to  a 
man’s  affections. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  festivities  the  Great 
Helpful  Lady  disappeared.  She  was  not  missed 
at  first  for  the  fun  was  at  its  height,  but  when  half 
an  hour  and  then  an  hour  slipped  by,  Little 
Small-F eet  grew  anxious. 

“Ah,  there  she  is !”  all  the  girls  exclaimed,  when 
she  at  length  came  in  sight,  but  only  Little 
Small-Feet  noticed  that  her  friend  seemed  pale 
and  absent-minded. 

Even  the  happiest  evenings  come  to  an  end, 
and  the  time  finally  arrived  when  all  the  guests 
must  go  and  the  fairy  lanterns  he  blown  out. 

“Slowly,  slowly,  slowly  walk,”  pleaded  the 
polite  hostess,  when  the  girls  made  a motion  to 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


109 


leave,  “the  time  has  been  far  too  short.”  But  in 
spite  of  protests  and  many  delays  they  at  length 
separated  and  Little  Small-Feet  and  her  guard- 
ian were  alone. 

Little  Small-Feet  urged  her  friend  to  retire, 
but  the  lady  replied  that  she  had  a few  things  to 
see  about  and  that  the  girl  must  not  wait  for  her, 
and  happy  and  tired  the  girl  was  soon  fast  asleep. 

Then  the  lady  began  to  do  many  strange 
things. 

As  soon  as  she  was  certain  that  her  charge  was 
unconscious  she  drew  down  the  blinds  so  that  not 
a crack  of  light  could  be  seen;  then  she  quietly 
took  off  her  shoes,  putting  in  their  place  a pair  of 
noiseless  slippers.  This  being  done,  she  slipped 
to  the  door  and  opened  it  so  suddenly  that  she 
nearly  upset  a man  who  was  bent  nearly  double 
with  his  eye  at  the  keyhole. 

“Lao  Wang,  what  are  you  doing  here?”  she 
sternly  demanded.  At  that  moment  the  doctor 
appeared  at  the  other  end  of  the  corridor  and  she 
beckoned  to  him  for  help. 

“This  must  be  the  man!”  she  exclaimed  in 
English. 

“Don’t  worry,  I’ll  manage  him,”  replied  the 
doctor,  seizing  the  man  who  had  hoped  to  escape. 


110  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


The  nurse  returned  to  her  room,  but  this  time 
she  took  the  precaution  to  hang  a rug  over  the 
door.  Then,  instead  of  preparing  for  bed,  she 
continued  her  strange  behavior.  She  pulled  out 
a trunk  from  one  corner  and  with  great  speed 
and  caution  as  to  noise,  she  began  to  fill  it. 
Xever  was  any  trunk  so  quickly  packed  before 
and  into  it  went  all  her  own  things  and  in  a 
smaller  one  Little  Small-Feet’s  precious  posses- 
sions. It  was  nearly  two  o’clock  before  she  had 
finished  her  task  and  a harder  one  lay  before 
her:  she  must  awaken  a sleeping  girl  without 
being  heard  in  the  corridor. 

“Little  Small-Feet,  Little  Small-Feet,”  she 
whispered,  “wake  up,  but  be  very  quiet.” 

“Oh,  what  is  the  matter?”  the  girl  sobbed,  still 
drowsy  and  very  much  frightened. 

“Old  Scarred  Face  and  Creeping  Sin  have  re- 
turned, and  are  making  a plot  to  burn  all  the 
foreign  buildings  and  start  a general  riot.  They 
have  bribed  Lao  Wang,  the  coolie,  to  watch  you 
and  me  so  that  they  will  be  sure  to  catch  us.  The 
officials  are  now  very  unfriendly  so  they  will  not 
protect  us.  Their  plans  are  not  quite  ready  and 
if  we  can  catch  to-night’s  steamer,  it  may  save  the 
compound.  All  depends  on  our  quietness;  we 


WHERE  HILLS  WERE  BLUE 


111 


were  going  soon  and  Old  Scarred  Face  must  have 
gotten  wind  of  our  plans.” 

“Didn’t  I tell  you  that  she  never  forgets  any- 
body?” Little  Small-Feet  shivered. 

The  cautions  to  he  quiet  were  needless;  quick 
as  a flash  the  girl  had  caught  the  idea  and, 
trembling  and  breathless,  she  soon  dressed.  A 
light  knock  was  heard  on  the  door ; opening  it  on 
the  crack  they  saw  the  doctor.  He  beckoned  and 
they  followed.  The  trunks  must  be  left  behind 
to  be  sent  after  them;  they  could  take  only  a 
small  bag  with  them,  full  of  necessities. 

Softly  as  shadows  they  slipped  down  the  corri- 
dors and  out  to  the  back  gate  of  the  compound, 
which  the  doctor  unlocked  with  the  pass-key. 

“Half  an  hour  ago  Lao  Wang  escaped,” 
whispered  the  doctor  to  the  lady  as  he  assisted  her 
into  her  ricksha;  “the  coolies  are  loyal;  we  will 
outrun  them  yet.” 

“Then  this  is  a race  with  death?”  she 
questioned. 

Again  the  doctor  nodded.  “If  the  worst  comes 
to  the  worst,  we  shall  at  least  die  together,”  he 
thought  to  himself. 

“Quickly,  very  quickly!”  he  ordered  the  men 
and  they  started  off  at  a brisk  trot. 


CHAPTER  VII 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 

But,  e’en  as  the  moonlight  air  grew  sweet, 

We  heard  the  pad  of  stealthy  feet 

Dogging  us  down  the  thin  white  road ; 

And  the  song  grew  weary  again  and  harsh. 

And  the  black  trees  dripped  like  the  fringe  of  a marsh. 
And  a laugh  crept  out  like  a shadowy  toad ; 

And  we  knew  it  was  neither  ghoul  nor  dj  inn : 

It  was  Creeping  Sin ! It  was  Creeping  Sin ! 

— Alfred  Noyes. 

THE  night  was  full  of  lurking  shadows  which 
took  on  menacing  shapes  and  seemed  to 
threaten  the  fugitives  with  wild  gestures  as  they 
approached,  only  to  turn  into  harmless  poles  or 
trees  when  they  reached  them.  A waning  moon 
was  half  hidden  by  scurrying  clouds,  and  its  un- 
certain light  made  the  shadows  the  more  formid- 
able. If  only  the  pariah  dogs  could  have  taken 
the  hurrying  footsteps  of  the  coolies  as  a matter 
of  course,  but  at  each  group  of  houses  they  set 
up  a howl  as  if  to  warn  the  householders  that 
some  dark  deed  was  afoot.  Even  the  roosters 
were  in  league  against  the  little  party  and  crowed 


112 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


113 


so  lustily  and  so  often  that  they  felt  that  the 
whole  animal  world  was  ready  to  turn  and  rend 
them. 

Little  Small-Feet  sat  erect,  her  hands  clutch- 
ing a bundle  of  treasures  that  she  had  hastily 
thrown  together.  Was  this,  then,  to  be  the  end  of 
her  and  her  dear  lady,  and  were  all  their  dreams 
for  the  future  to  be  frustrated  by  the  vengeance 
of  her  old  enemies?  It  would  have  been  better 
far  to  die  in  the  cave  on  the  mountain  than  to 
bring  those  who  loved  her  into  such  peril.  Sud- 
denly she  called  to  the  coolies  to  stop,  and  the 
three  rickshas  drew  up  a stone’s  throw  from  some 
hovels. 

“I  am  going  back,”  she  said  to  the  doctor.  “I 
cannot  have  you,  my  lady,  run  such  risks  for  me. 
I will  give  myself  up  to  Old  Scarred  Face. 
After  all,  it  is  I whom  she  wants,  and  if  she  once 
gets  hold  of  me  she  will  let  you  alone.” 

“O  Little  Small-Feet,”  exclaimed  her  friend, 
“do  you  understand  us  so  little  that  you  think  wre 
would  ever  allow  it?  Come,  we  must  hurry  on; 
each  moment’s  delay  is  dangerous.”  And  again 
the  three  took  up  their  flight. 

The  eyes  of  the  two  women  were  fixed  on  the 
road  in  front,  but  the  doctor,  as  he  spurred  the 


114  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


coolies  on,  frequently  turned  his  head  as  he  saw  a 
low  flicker  of  red  rising  over  the  city  behind  them. 
As  he  watched,  the  light  grew  brighter  and  shoot- 
ing sparks  went  higher  and  higher.  And  he 
wondered  to  himself  whether  Old  Scarred  Face 
had  accomplished  her  threat,  and  if  the  hospital 
was  now  in  flames,  what,  then,  had  happened  to 
the  rest  of  the  station? 

As  they  drew  nearer  the  river,  down  the  wind 
came  the  sound  of  running  footsteps,  at  first  faint 
and  hardly  to  be  distinguished  from  the  night 
wind  in  the  willows,  but  soon  plainer  and  yet 
more  plain  until  the  doubt  became  a certainty. 
Then  the  first  faint  flush  of  pink  in  the  east  gave 
promise  of  the'  dawn,  but  the  eyes  that  were 
strained  toward  the  river  could  not  be  lifted  for 
one  moment  to  see  the  hope  of  the  morning,  for 
before  the  sun  rose  in  splendor,  the  race  with 
death  might  be  finished  forever. 

Now  the  voices  of  a crowd  could  be  distinctly 
heard  in  the  rear,  coarse  voices  full  of  threaten- 
ing, and  around  the  bend  in  the  road,  the  first  of 
their  pursuers  might  come  at  any  moment.  But 
joy,  just  ahead  of  the  three  rickshas  was  the  turn 
that  led  to  the  wharf,  and  greater  relief  yet — at 
the  hulk  puffed  and  panted  the  steamer!  The 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


115 


coolies,  spurred  to  renewed  efforts  at  the  sight  of 
their  goal,  gathered  their  forces  for  one  magnifi- 
cent spurt,  and  just  as  the  mob  reached  the  other 
end  of  the  street,  the  ladies  hurried  up  the 
gangplank. 

The  doctor,  seeing  them  safely  on  board,  re- 
fused to  go  with  them.  “I  have  ways  of  hiding 
until  the  mob  disperses,”  he  said,  “and  I must  go 
back,  for  tbe  others  may  need  me  in  the  hospital.” 
He  did  not  tell  them  of  the  sinister  light  he  had 
seen  hovering  over  the  city.  He  said  good-by  to 
Little  Small-Feet  and  with  a lingering  look  at 
the  sweet  face  and  wistful  eyes  of  the  lady,  he 
was  gone. 

As  soon  as  possible  they  hurried  to  their  cabin 
and  before  long  Little  Small-Feet  was  fast 
asleep,  safe  in  the  thought  that  she  was  leaving 
her  old  enemies  behind  forever.  Her  friend  had 
been  through  too  much  that  night  to  think  of  re- 
pose. The  fate  of  the  hospital  was  still  in  doubt 
and  she  followed  in  thought  each  step  the  doctor 
took  on  his  return.  Little  Small-Feet  did  not 
awaken  until  the  noonday  sun  struck  full  on  her 
face ; then  turning  she  saw  her  friend  sitting  close 
beside  her, 

“Well,  my  child,  you  have  had  a long  sleep 


116  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


and  soon  we  must  have  tiffin.  There  are  several 
foreigners  on  board  and  I think  it  is  time  you 
were  known  by  some  other  name  than  Little 
Small-Feet.  That  is  all  right  for  a child  but 
hardly  dignified  enough  for  a young  lady  who 
hopes  some  day  to  be  a doctor.  Shall  I introduce 
you  by  the  name  of  Dong  Hsie  Yin?1  That  is 
the  name  you  were  baptized  by  last  year  and  a 
beautiful  name  it  is,  but,  of  course,  when  we  are 
alone  I shall  always  call  you  Little  Small-Feet.” 

Thus  for  the  third  time  the  child  received  a 
name,  but  in  her  heart  of  hearts  she  always  liked 
Little  Small-F eet  the  best,  and  begged  her  dear- 
est friends  to  call  her  that.  To  strangers  she 
was  known  as  Dong  Hsie  Yin. 

When  the  river  steamer  at  length  drew  up 
beside  the  bund,  at  the  City  by  the  Sea,  Little 
Small-Feet  exclaimed  with  pleasure  at  the 
strange  buildings  and  all  the  noise  and  bustle. 

“Ah,”  she  laughed,  “I  am  coming  into  a new 
world  with  a new  name,  and  now  I can  forget  all 
my  old  enemies.”  Little  Small-Feet  did  not  real- 
ize that  old  foes  might  cling  as  fast  as  the  old 
name. 


1 “Dong”  is  the  family  name;  “Hsie  Yin”  means  “Thank- 
ful for  mercy.” 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


117 


Hsie  Yin  passed  three  very  eventful  days  in 
the  City  by  the  Sea,  for  each  moment  was  filled 
with  unusual  sights.  It  was  always  a treat  to 
pass  down  the  broad  streets  with  their  overhang- 
ing balconies  and  bright  signs  covered  with  gilt 
characters,  and  going  to  the  bund  to  watch  the 
river  thronged  with  every  kind  of  native  junk, 
and  foreign  craft  never  lost  its  charm.  On  the 
fourth  day  as  they  stood  under  the  trees  of  the 
park,  a ricksha  drew  up  in  front  of  them  and 
their  good  friend,  the  doctor,  stepped  out.  Little 
Small-Feet  smiled  a glad  welcome  and  wondered 
why  her  guardian  turned  so  white  and  then  such 
a charming  pink. 

“It  is  really  you!”  the  lady  stammered.  “I 
have  not  been  able  to  rest  for  fear  of  what  might 
have  happened  to  you  and  the  hospital.” 

“Well,”  he  replied,  “we  had  a pretty  hot  time 
for  a few  hours.  Thank  God,  no  one  was  hurt, 
but  the  hospital  was  burned  and  they  are  sending 
me  home  to  raise  money  for  another.” 

A very  happy  trio  returned  to  the  house  that 
day;  Little  Small-Feet  went  on  in  front  and  the 
other  two  followed  her  slowly.  The  news  about 
the  hospital  and  a life  work  undone  was  indeed  a 
sad  blow  to  the  Great  Helpful  Lady,  but  the 


118  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


thought  that  none  of  her  friends  had  fallen 
victims  to  the  mob  compensated  a little  for  the 
loss  and  relieved  her  mind  of  a dread  that  had 
haunted  her  ever  since  she  had  said  good-by  to 
the  doctor  on  that  awful  night. 

The  two  friends  walked  slower  and  slower, 
while  Hsie  Yin  unconsciously  quickened  her  pace 
to  watch  a funeral  procession  that,  with  great 
wailing  of  hired  mourners,  was  coming  down  the 
cross  street.  The  gay  gowns  of  the  priests  and 
the  handsome  trappings  of  the  sedan  chairs  held 
her  spellbound,  and  she  never  noticed  a figure 
that  came  skulking  up  beside  her  until  a birdlike 
claw  was  laid  upon  her  arm.  Then  she  turned  in 
horror  to  see  the  leering  features  of  Old  Scarred 
Face  almost  touching  her.  With  a scream  of 
terror,  Little  Small-Feet  snatched  her  arm  away 
and  turned  to  flee,  never  noticing  in  her  horror 
which  direction  she  took.  Was  the  Goddess  of 
Mercy  watching  over  the  girl  at  last  or,  rather, 
the  guardian  angels  of  her  lady’s  psalm?  Fortu- 
nately for  her,  she  ran  straight  into  the  arms  of 
her  approaching  friends.  Had  she  made  another 
turn,  this  story  of  Little  Small-Feet  would  have 
ended  right  here  or  would  never  have  been 
written. 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


119 


“What  is  the  matter?  What  in  the  world  lias 
happened?”  her  guardian  exclaimed.  With 
gasping  breath  the  girl  explained.  The  doctor 
hurried  forward  in  pursuit  but  when  he  reached 
the  corner  there  was  no  sign  of  the  woman;  she 
had  completely  disappeared. 

“I  thought  I was  safe  forever,”  Little  Small- 
Feet  sobbed.  “Do  you  suppose  she  will  follow 
me  to  the  end  of  the  world?” 

Her  friends  assured  her  that  Old  Scarred  Face 
could  not  afford  the  price  of  the  steamer  fare,  but 
they  acknowledged  to  themselves  that  the  woman 
must  be  in  deadly  earnest  to  have  followed  them 
so  quickly  and  to  have  paid  the  necessary  passage 
on  the  river  boat. 

From  that  time  forward  Hsie  Yin  was  never 
permitted  to  be  alone  either  in  the  house  or  on 
the  street,  and  their  cabins  were  engaged  for  the 
first  steamer  that  sailed  to  America.  On  the  day 
they  went  away  the  doctor,  who  was  to  remain 
behind  for  a month  on  business,  came  to  the 
launch  to  see  them  off.  While  the  two  older 
people  were  engrossed  in  conversation,  Little 
Small-Feet  went  to  the  rail  to  watch  the  crowd, 
for  it  was  an  absorbing  sight  to  see  strangers 
from  every  nation  of  the  globe.  Hsie  Yin  be- 


120  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


came  so  interested  that  she  did  not  realize  that  it 
was  time  to  start  until  she  heard  the  doctor’s 
voice  in  her  ears  speaking  to  her. 

“Good-by,  Little  Small-Feet,”  he  said;  “take 
good  care  of  your  Great  Helpful  Lady,  for  she 
has  promised  to  be  my  lady  too.”  Then  he 
turned  and  walked  down  the  gangplank. 

Little  Small-Feet  was  so  surprised  that  she 
could  not  think  what  he  meant.  Was  her  guard- 
ian going  to  desert  her  just  as  they  had  launched 
out  on  their  great  adventure  ? One  glance  at  her 
friend’s  face  reassured  her,  and  being  too  inter- 
ested in  their  departure  to  ask  any  questions,  she 
turned  to  look  at  the  wharf  where  the  doctor  was 
standing.  The  ropes  w^ere  cast  off  from  the  dock 
and  their  launch  began  to  fall  slowly  down  the 
stream.  The  girl  lifted  her  eyes  a minute  from 
the  doctor  to  look  at  a pile  of  crates  standing 
near  him.  Her  astonished  gaze  fell  upon  the 
pock-marked  features  and  dreaded  scowl  of  Old 
Scarred  Face,  rendered  even  more  malignant  by 
thwarted  spite.  She  fascinated  Little  Small- 
Feet  as  a snake  does  its  prey  and,  try  as  she 
could,  the  girl  could  not  turn  her  eyes  away  from 
her  old  enemy.  The  last  human  being,  therefore, 
that  Hsie  Yin  saw  when  she  left  her  native  land 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


121 


was  the  face  of  her  most  dreaded  foe  and,  al- 
though she  could  not  hear  them,  the  curses  of  the 
woman  seemed  to  ring  in  her  ears. 

It  takes  an  old  and  experienced  sailor  to  enjoy 
the  cross  currents  of  the  Yellow  Sea,  and  on  the 
first  day  out  Hsie  Yin  was  sick;  no  one  had  ever 
been  so  ill  before,  she  thought;  she  could  not  lift 
her  head  from  the  pillow,  and  she  was  absolutely 
certain  that  by  the  end  of  the  three  weeks  there 
would  be  no  Little  Small-Feet  left  to  tread  the 
longed-for  streets  of  the  City  by  the  Golden 
Gate.  She  even  shed  a tear  or  two  of  sympathy 
for  her  dear  lady  who,  she  knew,  would  grieve  at 
her  untimely  end,  and  for  her  country  to  which 
she  could  never  bring  life  and  healing.  She  did 
not  guess  how  many  times  travelers  had  imagined 
the  same  things  before. 

By  the  end  of  the  second  day,  however,  when 
the  soft,  gray  haze  slowly  turned  into  the  moun- 
tains and  cliffs  of  old  Japan,  Hsie  Yin  had  recov- 
ered sufficiently  to  be  on  deck  and  watch  with  a 
dawning  interest  the  fast  approaching  shore. 
During  the  next  few  days  the  girl  felt  that  at 
length  she  had  sailed  into  fairyland,  for  all  past 
troubles  and  dread  of  the  future  voyage  were  lost 
in  the  enjoyment  of  the  moment.  The  blue  of 


122  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


the  sky,  where  whole  fleets  of  white  clouds  sailed, 
wafted  hither  and  thither  by  wayward  breezes, 
was  reflected  in  the  clear  water  below.  The  tiny 
islands  that  dotted  the  sea  were  robed  in  every 
shade  of  green,  from  the  light  green  of  the  ter- 
raced rice  fields  to  the  feathery  bamboo  and  the 
darker  shades  of  the  pines,  and  beneath  these 
quaint,  gnarled  pines  the  curved  roof  of  a temple 
or  the  arch  of  a stone  torii  could  be  seen,  or  per- 
haps some  wayside  inn  or  farmer’s  cottage.  The 
village  streets  and  houses,  which  scrambled  up 
the  hillside  and  clung  there  in  spite  of  all  of  the 
laws  of  gravitation,  were  also  a wonder  and  de- 
light to  both  travelers. 

“I  did  not  know  that  there  were  such  lovely 
spots,”  Hsie  Yin  would  exclaim;  “I  never 
thought  that  any  country  could  be  so  beautiful  as 
mine,  and  of  course  I never  could  love  it  in  the 
same  way,  but  I am  sure  that  the  king  of  the 
fairies  must  live  here.” 

The  sunsets  and  sunrises,  too,  turned  all  their 
loveliness  to  gold  and  pink  and  sapphire  with 
lemon-yellow,  mauves,  and  soft  greens  all  blend- 
ing into  one,  colors  which  no  paint  box  ever  held 
and  which  are  the  despair  of  artists.  It  was  one 
long  week  of  beauty  and  of  ecstasy  until  the  ad- 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


123 


jectives  of  the  dictionary  were  exhausted  and  the 
senses  were  almost  drunk  with  color.  At  the  end 
they  sailed  at  sunset  up  the  famous  Yokohoma 
Bay.  Above  it,  rising  like  a cloud  that  the  slight- 
est breeze  could  waft  away,  was  the  cone  of  the 
sacred  mountain,  the  dazzling  white  of  the  snow 
kissed  to  a delicate  pink  by  the  setting  sun. 


“A  snow-peak  in  the  silver  skies 
Beyond  that  magic  world, 

We  saw  the  great  volcano  rise 
With  incense  o’er  it  curled. 

Whose  tiny  thread  of  rose  and  blue 
Has  risen  since  time  began, 
Before  the  first  enchanter  knew 
The  peak  of  old  Japan.” 


It  seemed  almost  a sacrilege  to  set  foot  on  these 
fairy  shores,  but  when  they  landed  the  friends 
were  as  delighted  as  they  had  been  on  the  deck  of 
the  steamer.  They  reveled  in  the  quaint,  winding 
streets,  the  picturesque  costumes  of  the  people 
and,  in  the  evening,  the  flickering  of  the  lanterns 
carried  by  the  ricksha  coolies,  looked  like  some 
giant  fireflies  dancing  hither  and  thither. 

The  steamer  waited  a whole  day  in  the  harbor 
in  order  to  take  on  cargo  and  the  passengers 
were  free  to  spend  the  time  as  they  wished.  Hsie 


124.  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Yin  and  her  lady  decided  to  take  the  train  to  see 
the  famous  Daibutsu  that  sits  majestically  in  its 
park,  apparently  unconscious  of  the  pilgrims  that 
come  from  near  and  far  to  do  it  homage. 

It  was  Little  Small-Feet’s  first  ride  in  a rail- 
road train  and  though  to  her  friend  it  seemed  like 
a toy  imitation  of  the  real  thing,  to  the  girl  it  was 
a never-ceasing  wonder.  By  this  time,  however, 
she  had  seen  so  many  new  and  strange  sights  that 
she  took  it  all  more  quietly  and  as  a matter  of 
course.  The  Daibutsu  struck  an  answering 
chord  in  her  breast.  He  seemed  to  symbolize  the 
contemplative  spirit  of  the  Far  East  that  she  was 
to  leave  behind,  perhaps  for  years. 

“I  like  his  calm  and  his  quietness,”  she  said;  “I 
hope  that  I shall  never  get  so  hurried  that  I can- 
not sit  and  think  on  the  great  matters  of  life.” 
“Yes,  he  is  restful,”  her  friend  replied,  “but  he 
is  too  unmindful  of  the  trouble  and  sorrow 
around  him;  I want  a God  whose  face  shows  the 
lines  of  sorrow,  who  hears  a mark  of  the  scars.” 
“You  are  right;  I had  not  thought  of  that; 
Daibutsu  does  not  look  as  if  he  would  care  a bit 
if  all  the  children  were  caught  by  Old  Scarred 
Face.” 

All  the  way  back  Hsie  Yin  was  quite  subdued, 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


125 


for  the  mention  of  Old  Scarred  Face  had  cast  a 
shadow  over  her.  A whole  week  had  passed  and 
she  had  forgotten  the  woman’s  existence,  but  now 
she  had  an  almost  superstitious  dread  that  her 
spell  was  still  upon  her. 

At  the  station  they  again  climbed  into  rickshas 
and  were  swiftly  drawn  toward  the  steamboat 
landing.  Hsie  Yin’s  coolie  went  so  rapidly  that 
he  paid  no  attention  to  a ricksha  coming  down  a 
side  street  and  had  to  turn  suddenly  to  avoid  an 
accident.  The  two  men  drew  up  just  long 
enough  for  Little  Small-Feet  to  get  a clear 
glance  at  the  face  of  the  passenger  in  the  other 
vehicle.  What  was  her  horror  to  see  the  sallow 
features  and  sly  smile  of  Creeping  Sin!  Then  as 
she  drew  back  in  terror,  his  ricksha  turned  and 
disappeared  into  the  gathering  dusk. 

Nothing  more  occurred  to  alarm  them  until 
they  reached  the  wharf  and  boarded  the  launch; 
this  was  the  last  point  of  call  before  they  left  the 
Orient  and  its  charms,  its  wonderful  fascination, 
and  its  heartrending  sorrows  behind,  and  turned 
their  faces  toward  the  land  of  the  to-morrow.  If 
only  they  had  been  assured  that  they  had  left 
Creeping  Sin  behind  as  well,  they  would  have 
rested  more  easily.  Why  had  he  come  to  Japan? 


126  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


How  had  he  heard  of  their  plans,  or  was  this 
meeting  a pure  accident?  There  seemed  to  be  no 
solution  to  the  question. 

The  next  morning  Little  Small-Feet  awoke 
very  early,  and  as  she  could  not  drop  off  to  sleep 
again,  she  decided  to  go  out  on  deck  for  a breath 
of  air.  She  suddenly  opened  the  door  and 
stepped  out  into  the  corridor,  nearly  overturning 
their  bedroom  steward  who  had  evidently  been 
standing  listening  to  their  conversation.  Very 
much  startled,  Hsie  Yin  returned  to  her  friend 
and  throwing  herself  on  the  couch  burst  into 
tears. 

“What  have  I done?”  she  cried,  “that  I should 
be  so  tormented?” 

“Well,  my  dear,”  her  friend  replied,  “you  have 
done  nothing,  but  I am  sure  that  when  we  have 
reached  the  other  side  we  can  throw  them  off. 
Surely  they  have  more  profitable  things  to  do 
than  to  follow  a child  with  no  money  and  no  con- 
nections. I have  told  you  that  the  doctor  has 
friends  in  the  State  Department,  and  if  this  per- 
secution continues,  we  will  have  these  people 
arrested  and  sent  home.  You  know  that  when  I 
promised  to  become  the  doctor’s  wife,  he  declared 
that  he  would  look  out  for  you  as  if  you  were  his 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


127 


very  own.  I am  glad  that  you  will  not  be  with- 
out the  protection  of  a man,  who  will  understand, 
much  better  than  I,  how  to  handle  the  matter.” 

“You  will  have  to  go  back  long  before  I am 
educated  though,  and  then  whatever  will  become 
of  me?” 

“We  will  never  go  until  we  are  sure  that  you 
are  safe.  Then  you  will  come  and  join  us  and  it 
is  my  dream  that  the  three  of  us  can  begin  the 
work  that  we  planned  long  ago.” 

Comforted  by  this  thought,  Hsie  Yin  dried  her 
eyes  and  began  to  feel  better.  The  stewardess  at 
this  moment  entered  with  a cup  of  tea  and  the 
gossip  of  the  steamer. 

“Yes,”  she  said,  “there  are  many  Chinese  gen- 
tlemen traveling  these  days  and  a fine  lot  of 
trouble  they  make  with  all  their  servants  and 
their  meals  that  have  to  be  cooked  by  their  own 
chefs.  There  is  a grand  nobleman  who  has  the 
best  suite  on  this  steamer.  They  say  that  his 
name  is  Lord  Chang  and  he’s  some  kin  to  the 
Emperor.  I don’t  care  who  he  is,  he’s  a mean 
one  if  ever  there  was  one.  He’s  going  to  the  ex- 
hibition to  represent  the  Empress  Dowager,  and 
he  is  that  mad  about  it,  because  he  hates  foreign 
countries,  but  she  made  him  go.  There’s  a friend 


128  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 

of  his  traveling  with  him  who  has  a sly  smile ; he 
gives  a liberal  tip,  but  I can’t  stomach  his  look  at 
all;  he’s  a bad  one,  he  is,  and  up  to  no  good!  He 
sticks  to  his  cabin  and  never  goes  out,  but  his 
servants  are  always  underfoot.” 

The  stewardess  was  mistaken  in  part  of  her  in- 
formation, for  Creeping  Sin  and  Lord  Chang 
were  not  traveling  in  the  same  party,  but  Creep- 
ing Sin  had  chosen  to  sail  on  the  steamer  with  the 
nobleman  for  his  own  purpose.  Very  recently 
the  two  bitter  enemies  had  become  partners  in 
crime.  How  it  happened  no  one  knew  except  the 
wily  Spider,  and  he  for  obvious  reasons  would 
not  explain. 

When  the  tiffin  gong  sounded  and  the  rest  of 
the  passengers  had  hastened  to  the  dining  salon, 
Lord  Chang  and  Creeping  Sin  had  a meeting  in 
the  latter’s  suite.  Creeping  Sin  received  his 
guest  with  every  courtesy  and  talked  in  an  oily, 
unctuous  tone  very  different  from  the  coarse 
manner  he  was  accustomed  to  use  to  Old  Scarred 
Face. 

“Yes,”  he  said,  “as  always  your  honor  speaks 
the  truth.  These  foreigners  will  ruin  our  noble 
land  and  I for  one  would  like  to  see  every  one  of 
them  dropped  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  But  it 


WAS  IT  CREEPING  SIN? 


129 


must  be  handled  with  care.  When  you  see  their 
armies  and  navies  as  I have  done  in  my  journeys 
to  their  accursed  countries,  you  will  realize  that 
it  requires  caution.  It  will  take  time  but  we  can 
outwit  them.  Do  you  know  that  on  this  very 
steamer  there  is  a beautiful  Chinese  girl  whom 
they  have  stolen?  They  are  taking  her  to  their 
own  country,  they  say,  to  educate  her.  They  will 
do  this  more  and  more  until  our  land  of  blessed 
calm  will  he  in  a turmoil  like  their  own,  with  no 
peace  anywhere,  our  gods  forgotten,  and  our  be- 
loved Confucius  a byword  and  a contempt. 
Every  child  who  receives  their  foreign  education 
becomes  a menace  to  the  Empire.  Soon  the  good 
old  days  of  the  sages  will  be  gone  forever.” 

Lord  Chang  ground  his  teeth  at  this  news. 
“This  must  be  stopped,”  he  exclaimed.  “You  are 
clever  at  such  things,  cannot  you  manage  to  have 
her  disappear?  I might  perhaps  be  able  to  ar- 
range that  no  questions  are  asked.  You  concoct 
some  story  and  I will  indorse  it.  You  must  do 
it  frequently  in  your  business.” 

“It  would  be  a delicate  matter  and  would  cost 
more  than  I care  to  put  into  it.  The  officials  of 
the  City  by  the  Golden  Gate  have  an  undue  prej- 
udice against  some  of  my  activities.  I will  un- 


130  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


dertake  the  commission  only  under  the  condition 
that  I may  dispose  of  her  as  I please,  but  I can 
give  little  time  to  the  affair  for  I have  other  game 
to  follow.” 

“F or  five  hundred  dollars  I will  give  you  every 
right  to  her,”  replied  Lord  Chang. 

“Why  should  I pay  for  the  trouble  I am  to 
take  and  the  risk  I have  to  run?”  asked  the 
accomplice. 

“You  can  sell  her  for  five  thousand  taels  if  she 
is  as  beautiful  as  you  say,”  returned  Lord  Chang. 
“Official  protection  has  to  be  well  paid  for  in 
matters  of  this  kind;  it  is  a great  risk  for  me  to 
wink  at  such  matters  and  might  endanger  the 
Empire.” 

They  bickered  back  and  forth  until  Lord 
Chang  compromised  on  half  the  sum.  Few 
people  knew  that  the  nobleman  had  bartered  his 
daughter  for  the  paltry  sum  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars.  In  fact  many  long  years  were  to 
pass  before  he  realized  it  himself,  but  when  he 
had  left  the  cabin  Creeping  Sin  sat  and  gloated 
with  the  old,  sly  smile  on  his  face. 


CHAPTER  VIII 


LITTLE  SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY 


And  o’er  us  the  whole  of  the  soft  blue  sky 
Flashed  like  fire  as  the  world  went  by. 

And  far  beneath  us  the  sea  like  fire 
Flashed  in  one  soft  blue  brilliant  stream, 

And  the  journey  was  done,  like  a change  in  a dream. 


REEPING  Sin  kept  very  closely  to  his  own 


rooms.  He  was  too  busy  over  his  schemes  to 
care  that  the  seas  wrere  blue  and  that  flying  fish 
with  a flash  of  silver  in  their  fins  were  making  a 
mad  race  to  keep  up  writh  the  ship.  He  paid  no 
attention  to  the  breezes  that  wandered  in  and  out 
of  the  porthole  and  fluttered  the  curtains  and 
rustled  the  papers,  but  the  little  breezes  watched 
him  closely,  for  they  realized  that  here  was  a man 
to  whom  the  fresh  air  of  heaven,  the  bright  sun- 
light, and  the  open  highway  were  repugnant,  and 
they  wished  to  find  out  what  schemes  he  was 
planning  against  the  good  and  innocent. 

Like  a great,  black  spider,  Creeping  Sin  sat  in 
his  cabin  weaving  a web  to  catch  his  victims.  He 


— Alfred  Noyes. 


131 


132  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


thought  of  his  last  night  in  the  City  by  the  Sea 
and  how  Old  Scarred  Face  had  brought  him  word 
that  Little  Small-Feet  was  to  sail  on  this  very 
steamer.  With  a wicked  joy  they  had  planned  to 
make  her  own  father  deliver  her  into  their  hands. 
He  had  been  careful  to  warn  Old  Scarred  Face 
that  she  would  reap  no  benefit  from  the  capture ; 
her  only  reward  must  be  the  knowledge  that  she 
had  had  her  revenge  on  the  child  and  her  protect- 
ors. He  had  never  seen  her  venom  so  plainly 
shown,  and  even  he  shuddered  when  he  thought 
that  some  day  that  malice  might  be  turned 
against  himself. 

“We  have  scorched  the  beehive  and  have  driven 
the  bees  away  forever,”  chuckled  the  woman. 
“After  the  burning  of  the  hospital  they  will  never 
dare  return  to  the  city.” 

“You  will  not  see  the  girl  again  unless  you 
visit  the  City  by  the  Golden  Gate,  and  the  ocean 
is  too  deep  and  broad  for  you  to  walk  across,” 
grinned  Creeping  Sin,  “but  you  can  rest  your 
heart  in  the  thought  that  she  shall  pay  double  for 
all  the  trouble  she  has  cost  us.”  Old  Scarred 
Face  laughed  harshly  at  his  words  although  she 
would  have  much  preferred  dealing  out  her  own 
vengeance. 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  133 


Creeping  Sin  mused  on  all  these  things,  and 
then  began  to  scheme  the  kidnaping  of  Little 
Small-Feet.  Lie  laid  his  toils  carefully  and 
seemed  to  think  of  every  contingency  but  he 
failed  to  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  in- 
nocence and  virtue  can  walk  unscathed  through 
plots  and  snares.  He  had  never  heard  of  Una 
and  the  Lion. 

Hsie  Yin’s  days  were  one  long  suspense  and 
dread  for  she  felt  conscious  that  silken  threads 
were  being  wound  around  her,  threads  that  she 
could  not  break  because  they  were  invisible  and 
placed  by  such  cunning  hands.  The  two  friends 
were  on  the  alert  night  and  day  and  their  imagi- 
nations frequently  gave  them  false  alarms  so 
that  they  started  at  the  slightest  sound.  Several 
times  they  ran  into  blue,  skulking  figures  hidden 
in  dark  corners  or  heard  furtive  footsteps  in  their 
corridor  at  night,  so  that  their  fears  were  not 
groundless. 

The  beautiful  harbor  of  the  City  of  the  Golden 
Gate  was  approached  with  much  suspense. 
Would  they  be  able  to  elude  their  pursuer  here? 
The  Great  Helpful  Lady  mapped  out  her  course 
of  action.  She  expected  to  be  met  by  friends 
who  were  very  influential  in  the  city  and  decided 


134  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


to  appeal  to  them  for  assistance  and,  if  necessary, 
for  police  protection ; with  such  aid,  she  thought, 
they  ought  to  be  safe. 

Fortunately  their  luggage  was  light  and  they 
could  hurry  through  the  customhouse,  the  only 
danger  of  delay  being  at  the  immigration  office, 
and  they  had  little  fear  of  detention  there  as  the 
doctor  had  been  at  great  pains  to  see  that  Hsie 
Yin’s  entrance  papers  were  properly  signed  and 
sealed. 

Creeping  Sin  had  already  made  up  his  mind 
what  he  would  do.  He  had  a shrewd  knowledge 
of  what  a little  clever  tipping  often  accomplished, 
and  his  only  fear  was  that  his  passport,  which  was 
forged,  might  be  confiscated.  He  was  conscious 
that  his  activities  had  often  been  frowned  on  by 
the  better  element  in  the  city,  but  he  felt  confi- 
dent that  he  could  enter  by  means  of  bluff  and 
bribes.  He  even  suggested  to  Lord  Chang  that 
he  would  like  to  enter  as  a member  of  his  retinue, 
but  Lord  Chang,  not  being  able  to  see  anything 
in  it  for  himself,  and  having  lost  a large  sum  in 
fan-tan  to  Creeping  Sin,  said  that  it  was  not  con- 
venient and  the  matter  was  dropped.  Creeping 
Sin,  however,  added  this  last  item  to  the  other 
grudges  he  had  against  Lord  Chang  to  be  settled 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  135 


at  some  future  date.  When  he  reached  the  un- 
derground world  of  Chinatown,  he  was  confident 
that  the  kidnaping  of  Little  Small-Feet  would 
be  an  easy  matter  because  he  had  often  managed 
little  affairs  of  this  kind  with  the  greatest  ease. 

On  the  day  of  the  landing,  however,  the  guard- 
ian angels  did  their  very  best  for  Hsie  Yin,  and 
Creeping  Sin’s  attendant  demons  must  have  been 
away  on  a vacation  for  they  did  not  help  him  in 
the  least.  The  ladies’  friends  met  them  at  the 
wharf,  listened  to  their  story  with  the  greatest 
attention,  and  at  once  took  up  the  matter. 

“He  is  the  very  man  we  are  looking  for,”  ex- 
claimed one  of  the  gentlemen.  “We  have  a re- 
form government  here  at  present  which  is  trying 
to  clean  up  Chinatown.  If  the  man  you  speak  of 
is  the  one  I think  he  is,  he  owns  one  of  the  largest 
gambling  places  here.  The  police  have  been  after 
him  for  months  but  he  disappeared  and  evidently 
went  back  to  his  own  country.  They  had  a sus- 
picion that  he  might  arrive  on  this  steamer  and 
are  waiting  for  him  at  this  moment.  If  you  will 
describe  him,  I will  notify  the  immigration 
officers.” 

Hsie  Yin  told  of  Creeping  Sin’s  masklike 
countenance  and  sly  smile  in  a very  trembling 


136  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


voice  and  when  she  had  finished  the  party  hur- 
ried off  the  wharf.  The  ladies  did  not  remain 
long  in  the  city,  feeling  that  it  was  wiser  to  put 
as  many  miles  as  possible  between  them  and  their 
tormentor,  but  before  they  left  they  had  the  satis- 
faction of  knowing  that  Creeping  Sin  was  spend- 
ing the  night  in  a detention  shed;  that  his  pass- 
port was  suspected  so  the  chances  were  that  he 
would  be  deported. 

Creeping  Sin,  at  the  moment  when  their  train 
drew  out  of  the  station,  was  grinding  his  teeth  in 
impotent  rage.  He  had  no  clue  as  to  who  had 
betrayed  him,  but  by  all  the  gods  that  he  knew  he 
swore  to  have  vengeance  on  the  “foreign  devils” 
and  never  to  draw  a quiet  breath  until  he  had  the 
girl  and  her  guardians  in  his  power.  In  ten  days’ 
time,  however,  he  was  again  on  a steamer  sailing 
back  to  his  own  country. 

The  morning  Hsie  Yin  had  landed  she  had 
watched  with  interest  the  greetings  that  were  ex- 
tended to  Lord  Chang  and  his  suite  by  various 
prominent  men  in  the  city.  It  made  her  happy 
to  feel  that  one  of  her  countrymen  should  be 
treated  with  such  honor,  and  she  drew  quite  near 
to  watch  the  ceremonies,  but  Hsie  Yin  did  not 
suspect  for  a moment  that  it  was  her  father  that 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  137 


was  being  so  feted.  She  was  familiar  enough 
with  the  faces  of  her  enemies  hut  her  father  and 
mother  were  strangers  to  her. 

The  ladies  hurried  at  once  to  the  Great  Help- 
ful Lady’s  family,  who  lived  in  a prosperous  New 
England  town  where  fine  schools  and  educational 
opportunities  abounded,  and  Hsie  Yin  plunged 
immediately  into  a new  world.  The  months  of 
adjustment  were  naturally  very  hard,  because 
children  from  the  Orient  are  a curiosity  and  are 
often  treated  as  such  by  tactless  strangers,  but 
on  the  whole  Hsie  Yin  was  received  cordially  and 
after  the  first  few  months  she  felt  herself  quite  at 
home.  One  fact  added  greatly  to  her  comfort: 
she  found  that  in  this  particular  city  she  was  the 
only  person  from  her  own  land,  and  she  felt  that 
here  at  least  there  could  be  no  danger  from  Old 
Scarred  Face. 

After  a year  her  Great  Helpful  Lady  and  the 
doctor  were  married  and  again  returned  to  their 
work,  leaving  Little  Small-Feet  in  the  hands  of 
friends  who  promised  to  give  her  a home  and 
watch  her  progress  with  the  most  painstaking 
care.  This  home  was  plain  but  full  of  the  best 
kind  of  culture  and  refinement;  there  were  no 
luxuries  but  every  necessity.  In  work  and  play 


138  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


the  years  went  rapidly  by  until  Little  Small-Feet 
at  length  entered  college,  and  the  first  milestone 
on  the  road  to  her  ambition  was  reached. 

At  the  university  Hsie  Yin  was  a great  favor- 
ite, for  her  scholarship,  her  sense  of  humor,  and 
her  quiet  dignity  made  her  both  popular  and  re- 
spected. She  absorbed  and  naturally  enjoyed 
what  was  best  in  literature,  art,  and  music,  and 
perhaps  it  was  her  ancestry  that  made  her  ap- 
preciate the  luxurious  houses  of  some  of  her 
friends,  for  in  them  there  was  more  that  was  akin 
to  her  early  home  than  in  the  plainer  New  Eng- 
land town  where  she  had  attended  school.  Little 
Small-Feet  never  lost  sight  of  her  goal,  however, 
and  often  as  she  lay  on  her  soft  bed,  her  thoughts 
would  wing  back  to  the  beggar  children  of  her 
land  who  were  roaming  the  winter  streets  clad  in 
rags,  and  she  would  vow  to  herself  never  to  allow 
the  love  of  luxury  to  keep  her  from  devoting  her 
life  to  the  outcasts. 

The  years  flew  by,  happy  and  full  of  interest, 
and  with  no  room  in  them  for  thoughts  of  Creep- 
ing Sin  and  Old  Scarred  Face.  Why  should  she 
worry  over  them  when  they  were  thousands  of 
miles  away?  She  felt  positive  that  they  had  for- 
gotten her  existence,  because  her  lady’s  letters 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  139 


never  mentioned  them,  but  were  always  full  of 
plans  for  the  future. 

Two  years  of  college  life  passed  like  a breath 
and  then  Hsie  Yin  entered  the  medical  school. 
Her  shapely  fingers  seemed  formed  for  no  other 
purpose  than  to  perform  skillful  operations,  and 
her  quick  brain  caught  a thing  in  a flash,  so  that 
she  was  the  joy  of  her  professors  and  secretly  the 
envy  of  many  of  the  students.  Surely  at  last  the 
spell  wrought  upon  her  by  the  spirits  of  the 
pagoda  had  passed  away!  Was  it  their  magic 
that  had  changed  an  Oriental  princess  into  a 
modern  woman  wrapped  up  in  her  profession? 
Unfortunately  Wang  Dah  Mah,  the  authority 
on  such  matters,  was  not  there  to  say. 

Once  through  her  medical  course,  Hsie  Yin  de- 
cided to  take  a special  course  in  eye  work  and 
children’s  diseases,  deferring  her  return  to  her 
own  land  for  another  year,  and  during  this  time 
an  event  occurred  that  upset  her  nerves  and 
shook  her  resolution  to  return  to  work  in  the 
Flowery  Kingdom. 

It  happened  one  snowy  day,  when  the  winter 
winds  were  blowing  shrilly  down  the  street,  that 
Hsie  Yin  came  out  from  her  clinic  and  stood 
waiting  for  a street  car.  The  whirling  snow  had 


140  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


partly  covered  the  tracks  and  delayed  traffic,  so 
that  she  wondered  if  the  cars  were  running,  and 
finally  decided  to  try  to  walk.  The  girl’s  road 
lay  past  a Chinese  laundry  where  she  had  fre- 
quently left  her  collars  and  cuffs,  because  she 
liked  to  encourage  her  hard-working  country- 
men. As  Little  Small-Feet  opened  the  door  of 
the  shop,  the  noise  of  the  storm  drowned  the 
sound  of  her  entrance  and  she  could  see  two  men 
talking  in  an  inner  room,  although  they  did  not 
observe  her. 

One  of  the  men  was  clearly  her  friend,  the 
laundryman,  and  he  was  listening  to  his  compan- 
ion with  great  respect  and  even  a little  fear.  The 
second  man  was  a great  contrast  to  his  compan- 
ion; he  was  clad  in  rich  satin;  every  hair  of  his 
long,  silky  queue  was  in  order  and  tied  with  a 
handsome  tassel;  and  his  thin,  tapering  fingers 
wore  their  nails  two  inches  long.  Little  Small- 
Feet  was  about  to  call  for  her  bundle  when  the 
stranger  turned  and  she  found  herself  looking 
into  the  false  face  and  sly,  triumphant  smile  of 
Creeping  Sin. 

“I  told  you  I knew  that  it  was  she,”  he  ex- 
claimed, in  a southern  dialect,  and  started  for- 
ward to  seize  the  startled  girl. 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  141 


It  was  fortunate  for  Little  Small-Feet  that 
her  doctor’s  training  had  taught  her  to  be  on  the 
alert.  She  darted  quickly  forward  and  out  into 
the  now  blinding  storm,  whose  wicked  wind 
seemed  to  jeer  at  her  terror  as  it  came  rushing 
down  the  street.  Blinded  by  the  storm  and  not 
able  to  hear  the  swift  footstep  of  her  pursuer,  she 
struggled  on.  As  she  came  to  the  corner  a car  in 
front  of  her  stopped  to  let  off  a passenger,  and 
she,  not  waiting  to  see  which  way  it  went,  hurried 
on  board. 

It  was  a very  sad  and  disheartened  Hsie  Yin 
that  dragged  her  way  into  her  rooms  that  night. 
After  all  these  years  her  enemies  were  still  on 
her  track,  and  if  she  returned  to  her  own  land 
how  could  she  hope  to  be  safe?  All  night  long 
the  winds  howled  around  the  house,  seeming  to 
mock  at  her  and  her  ambitions  and  assuring  her 
that  she  could  never  hope  to  carry  them  out 
against  adversaries  such  as  these. 

Early  the  next  day  Hsie  Yin  consulted  her 
friends  as  to  what  course  she  ought  to  pursue  and 
the  professors  in  the  university  took  up  the  case. 
The  laundryman  was  arrested  and  questioned, 
but  all  that  he  could  say  was : 

“Me  not  know  verry  muchee;  he  heepee  bad 


142  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


man.  Chinese  all  hatee.  Owes  Sam  Lee  monee. 
Gone  now.” 

Which  was  not  reassuring  at  all,  but  the  police 
promised  to  be  on  the  watch  and  to  arrest  anyone 
answering  to  the  description  of  Creeping  Sin. 
But  what  could  be  done  to  him,  should  he  be  ar- 
rested, was  not  very  clear,  unless  he  could  be 
deported. 

There  were  many  things  that  were  still  less 
clear  to  Hsie  Yin.  How  had  Creeping  Sin  found 
out  where  she  was  and  what  was  he  planning  to 
do?  The  police  seemed  to  think  that  he  must  be 
the  head  of  one  of  the  Chinese  secret  societies 
which  are  very  mysterious  and  to  which  many  of 
the  Chinese  in  this  country  belong.  But  who 
could  tell? 

All  the  ease  and  comfort  of  the  past  few  years 
dropped  like  a mantle  from  Little  Small-Feet’s 
shoulders  and  her  future  looked  very  doubtful. 
Finally  she  thought  of  her  lady’s  guardian  angels 
and  her  friend’s  calmness  through  the  riot,  and 
her  fears  began  to  subside.  There  was  a force 
that  was  even  greater  than  Creeping  Sin’s  and 
she  must  prove  it. 

The  whole  of  the  following  July  Hsie  Yin 
spent  in  the  baby  hospital.  The  heat  seemed  like 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  143 


a heavy  blanket  but  she  worked  bravely  on,  up- 
held by  the  thought  of  a vacation  in  August.  A 
month  was  to  be  spent  at  the  seaside  with  one  of 
her  college  classmates,  in  a home  where  every 
luxury  would  be  provided.  As  she  went  down 
the  long  wards,  the  thought  of  the  waves  splash- 
ing on  the  shore  seemed  to  give  her  strength. 
And  then  at  length  the  happy  day  arrived  and 
she  started  gayly  off  in  the  hope  of  a holiday  free 
from  care. 

The  place  was  all  that  she  had  dreamed  and 
nature  and  friends  seemed  to  conspire  to  make 
everything  delightful.  There  were  gardens  and 
lawns  around  the  house,  gardens  that  were  the 
envy  of  the  countryside.  Larkspur  and  phlox 
and  every  shade  of  yellow  made  great  splashes 
of  color  against  gray  stone  walls,  and  beyond 
the  great  blue  Atlantic  rolled.  Was  it  any 
wonder,  then,  that  the  back  of  Hsie  Yin’s 
dreams  were  haunted  by  dim  memories  of  an- 
other garden  where  lotus  and  goldfish  ponds 
abounded,  a garden  full  of  stone  lanterns  and 
little  winding  paths,  where  poppies  danced  full 
to  hot  summer  breezes  as  they  did  here?  In 
vain  did  the  girl’s  waking  thoughts  try  to  vis- 
ualize and  name  this  dream  garden,  but  she 


144  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


decided  that  it  was  only  the  result  of  her  sleeping 
imaginations. 

As  the  month  slowly  passed  she  felt  as  if  the 
luxury  of  the  palace  were  sapping  her  desire  for 
work.  Each  day  it  seemed  harder  to  think  of 
going  back  to  the  life  of  hardship  she  had  marked 
out  for  herself.  How  pleasant  it  would  be 
always  to  live  such  a care-free  existence,  away 
from  the  shadow  of  Old  Scarred  Face  and 
Creeping  Sin.  At  first  Hsie  Yin  brushed  these 
fancies  hastily  aside,  but  as  time  went  on  they 
persisted  and  followed  her  relentlessly. 

One  day,  after  a morning  spent  in  idleness 
over  the  latest  novel,  a letter  was  handed  to  Little 
Small-Feet.  When  she  had  read  the  first  few 
lines,  she  almost  let  it  fall  in  amazement,  for  it 
contained  an  offer  that  would  make  it  possible  for 
her  to  remain  in  this  country,  away  from  the 
menace  of  her  old  enemies.  The  offer  was  truly 
amazing  in  the  light  of  her  nationality  and  ante- 
cedents, for  one  of  the  leading  women’s  medical 
schools  was  inviting  her  to  become  a member  of 
their  faculty,  with  the  most  flattering  allusions 
to  her  work  in  the  past  and  a truly  tempting  sal- 
ary. The  only  person  to  whom  Little  Small- 
Feet  showed  this  letter  was  her  college  classmate. 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  145 


“Of  course,  you  will  accept  an  invitation  like 
that;  it  would  be  suicidal  to  throw  it  aside!”  the 
friend  exclaimed. 

“But  think  of  all  my  plans  and  ambitions;  my 
Great  Helpful  Lady  did  not  educate  me  for  such 
a position  but  to  help  my  own  countrywomen.” 
“Stuff  and  nonsense,”  answered  her  friend; 
“this  is  a practical  age  and  we  must  meet  it  in  a 
practical  way.  Talents  such  as  yours  would  be 
thrown  away  in  picking  up  beggar  brats  and  car- 
ing for  them.” 

“If  my  lady  had  felt  that  way,  I should  not  be 
here,”  replied  Hsie  Yin. 

Her  friend  was  silenced  a minute  but  she  pro- 
ceeded to  the  attack:  “You  have  often  told  me 
that  you  want  to  pay  back  all  your  friends  have 
spent  on  your  education,  and  that  some  of  them 
are  not  well  off  and  need  the  money.  If  you 
accept  this  offer  you  can  do  it  quickly,  while  the 
other  way  they  may  have  to  wait  for  years.” 
“Yes,  but  I have  a feeling  that  they  would 
rather  never  see  a cent  of  it  than  that  I should 
forget  my  own  people.” 

These  arguments  nevertheless  had  great 
weight  with  Hsie  Yin,  and  although  she  tried  to 
make  up  her  mind  that  there  was  no  choice  and 


146  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


that  she  must  go  back,  the  masklike  face  of 
Creeping  Sin  would  come  before  her  eyes  and 
her  resolution  would  weaken. 

The  August  heat  seemed  to  enervate  her  still 
further  and  Little  Small-Feet  felt  all  her  desire 
for  achievement  gone.  She  longed  for  her  lady, 
although  in  her  heart  of  hearts  she  knew  that  in  a 
case  of  this  kind  her  friend  would  not  interfere; 
the  decision  would  be  left  to  her  own  con- 
science. 

“You  are  a dreamer  and  so  is  your  lady.  How 
much  better  to  stay  where  you  can  live  a long  life 
doing  good  than  be  killed  in  the  first  year  if  you 
go  back.  You  surely  will  be,  you  know.  Besides 
there  is  plenty  to  be  done  in  this  country,”  her 
classmate  would  urge. 

“Suppose  you  take  the  course  and  do  it,”  an- 
swered Hsie  Yin,  “and  I will  go  back  to  my 
country  and  they  will  never  miss  me  here.” 

“I  told  you  that  you  are  a dreamer,”  her  friend 
replied.  “Just  think  what  my  parents  would  say 
if  I became  a doctor.  How  foolish  it  would  be 
to  stop  in  the  middle  of  my  course  in  interior 
decoration  and  take  up  medicine!  Why,  my 
family  would  all  think  me  insane!” 

When  the  girl  had  left  the  room,  Hsie  Yin 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  147 


thought  to  herself:  “Alice  and  I do  not  speak  the 
same  language,  that  is  very  evident.  I really 
ought  to  leave  before  I accept  all  her  standards.” 
But  the  life  of  ease  was  too  pleasant  for  her  to 
care  to  change  and  as  she  had  no  excuse  for  not 
finishing  her  visit,  Hsie  Yin  drifted  along  from 
day  to  day. 

One  evening  her  friends  invited  Little  Small- 
Feet  to  go  on  a moonlight  sail.  It  wras  a won- 
derful night,  with  just  the  right  kind  of  breeze, 
and  the  rippling  waves  laughed  along  the  shore. 
The  next  morning  the  answer  to  the  invitation 
from  the  medical  school  must  be  sent,  so  Hsie 
Yin  resolutely  refused  the  sail,  determined  that 
the  hour  had  arrived  when  she  must  make  her 
decision. 

After  the  party  had  left  for  the  boat,  Hsie  Yin 
strolled  down  to  the  beach  and  seated  herself  on 
the  sands.  The  sea  and  headlands  were  bathed 
in  moonlight,  and  it  w^ould  be  hard  to  surpass  the 
soft  beauty  of  the  scene.  But  Hsie  Yin  felt  on 
this  night  that  she  had  no  part  in  all  the  beauty; 
it  hurt  though  it  allured  her.  In  her  agony  of 
soul,  she  drove  her  hands  down  into  the  sands 
beaten  hard  by  the  surf,  unconscious  of  what  she 
was  doing,  for  her  thoughts  were  thousands  of 


148  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


miles  away,  following  the  footsteps  of  a beggar 
child  who  was  toiling  over  mountain  passes  or 
begging  in  dirty  city  streets,  and  beside  the  girl, 
haunting  her  footsteps,  she  could  see  the  gaunt 
form  of  a beggar  woman. 

Surely  no  one  could  ask  her  to  face  such  hard- 
ships, such  dangers,  as  her  future  life  would  en- 
tail if  she  returned  to  her  own  people.  Hsie  Yin 
thought  of  the  physical  discomforts,  the  poverty, 
the  dirt,  and  the  disease,  and  above  all  she  heard 
the  cries  of  the  mob  as  they  had  sounded  on  the 
night  when  she  and  her  friend  had  fled  through 
the  darkness.  Little  Small-Feet’s  family,  too, 
had  deserted  her;  her  foes  had  hounded  her  from 
the  land.  She  owed  her  country  and  her  people 
nothing.  Her  thoughts  told  her  that  she  had  the 
opportunity  of  becoming  truly  famous  if  she 
should  accept  this  position.  There  was  a chance 
to  blaze  a trail ; already  she  had  made  suggestions 
in  the  treatment  of  children’s  diseases  that  had 
proved  of  great  benefit.  Why  stop  all  this  work 
to  undertake  the  perilous  task  that  she  had  set 
out  to  do?  So  ran  her  thoughts  this  moonlit 
evening. 

Then  stealing  over  the  water  came  the  sound 
of  singing  from  one  of  the  boats: 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  U9 


“By  the  old  Moulmein  Pagoda,  lookin’  eastward  to  the  sea, 

There’s  a Burma  girl  a-settin’,  and  I know  she  thinks 
o’  me; 

For  the  wrind  is  in  the  palm-trees,  and  the  temple-bells 
they  say: 

‘Come  you  back,  you  British  soldier;  come  you  back  to 
Mandalay !’ 

“Come  you  back  to  Mandalay, 

Where  the  old  Flotilla  lay; 

Can’t  you  ’ear  their  paddles  chunkin’  from  Rangoon  to 
Mandalay? 

On  the  road  to  Mandalay, 

Where  the  flyin’-fishes  play, 

An’  the  dawn  comes  up  like  thunder  outer  China  ’crost 
the  Bay !’’ 

Hsie  Yin  listened,  half-heeding,  then  more  at- 
tentively. There  was  something  to  be  said  in  the 
favor  of  the  Far  East  after  all,  and  it  was  a 
Western  poet  who  said  it.  Strange,  indeed,  that 
he  should  interpret  its  spirit  to  this  child  of  the 
Orient.  As  the  music  went  on  she  listened  still 
more  closely,  and  a big  longing  surged  up  within 
her  to  see  the  mists  on  the  rice  fields  again,  and 
the  groves  of  feathery  bamboo,  and  to  hear  the 
song  of  the  coolies  as  they  swing  along  under 
their  heavy  burdens.  As  she  half  caught  the 
words  of  the  song,  her  thoughts  flew  to  the  sum- 
mer she  had  spent  with  her  lady  in  the  mountains. 


150  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


and  a conversation  which  they  had  had  there  one 
evening  just  at  sunset. 

“Are  there  not  many  doctors  and  nurses  in 
your  so  great  and  noble  country?”  she  remem- 
bered asking  her  teacher. 

“Yes,  Little  Small-Feet,  many,  many  hun- 
dred,” her  friend  had  replied. 

“Well,  if  they  studied  to  be  nurses  and  doctors 
for  the  sake  of  helping  people,  I should  think 
they  would  go  where  they  were  needed  the  most ; 
I know  I would,”  she  had  responded,  and  she 
recollected  how  carefully  the  lady  had  explained 
to  her  that  the  reason  that  they  did  not  go  was 
because  they  did  not  know  the  need. 

These  thoughts,  with  many  others,  came  surg- 
ing in  upon  Hsie  Yin  and  made  her  feel  as 
if  her  own  words  would  condemn  her,  for  if  any- 
one knew  the  needs,  she  did  and  here  she  was 
faltering  in  her  resolution.  By  this  time  the  song 
was  nearly  over  and  Little  Small-Feet  again 
began  to  listen: 

“But  that’s  all  shove  be’ind  me — long  ago  an’  fur  away, 

An’  there  ain’t  no  ’busses  runnin’  from  the  Bank  to 
Mandalay; 

An’  I’m  learnin’  'ere  in  London  what  the  ten-year  soldier 
tells : 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  151 


‘If  you’ve  ’eard  the  East  a-cailin’,  you  won’t  never  ’eed 
naught  else.’ 

No!  you  won’t  ’eed  nothin’  else 

But  them  spicy  garlic  smells. 

An’  the  sunshine  an’  the  palm-trees  an’  the  tinkly 
temple-bells.” 

Yes,  Hsie  Yin  heard  the  East  acalling  her, 
but  it  was  with  a different  voice  than  that  of 
which  the  British  sang;  it  was  the  cry  of  pain  and 
anguish,  the  wail  of  helpless  children  and  the 
moans  of  hopeless  womanhood.  How  had  she 
been  deaf  to  it  for  a single  moment ! What  had 
deadened  her  sympathy  so  that  she  could  not  see 
her  duty? 

Little  Small-Feet’s  struggle  was  not  quite 
over,  however.  She  thought  of  Old  Scarred  Face 
and  Creeping  Sin,  of  the  painful  death  she  might 
be  called  upon  to  suffer,  and  again  her  courage 
wavered.  But  once  more  memory  of  her  lady 
came  to  her,  and  the  day  when  they  had  hidden 
on  the  wharf.  She  recalled  how  she  had  said  to 
her  friend,  “And  are  you  suffering  all  this  for 
me?”  and  her  lady  had  replied,  “There  was  One 
that  suffered  more  than  this  for  me,  Little 
Small-Feet.” 

Then  at  length  Hsie  Yin  came  to  her  decision. 
"When  she  thought  of  Gethsemane  and  the  way 


152  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


of  the  cross,  there  could  be  no  shrinking.  She 
must  respond  to  the  call  of  the  East. 

That  night  Hsie  Yin  slept  peacefully  and  in 
her  dreams  she  seemed  to  hear  pagoda  bells  softly 
swinging  back  and  forth,  touched  into  sweet 
music  by  the  wayward  breezes. 

The  next  morning  there  came  a letter  from 
Little  Small-Feet’s  own  country  telling  her  that 
the  doctor  and  her  old  friend  were  earnestly  long- 
ing and  expecting  her  return.  Part  of  the  letter 
ran  thus : 

“You  will  be  happy  to  learn  that  the  three  of 
us  have  been  appointed  to  carry  on  the  work  at 
‘The  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda.’  You  have  prob- 
ably never  heard  of  the  place,  but  it  is  an  im- 
portant town  two  weeks’  journey  into  the  in- 
terior. It  is  rather  anti-foreign,  so  your  help  will 
be  invaluable  to  us  in  opening  up  the  work.  A 
little  start  has  already  been  made  in  a dispensary, 
and  the  funds  are  on  hand  for  a men’s  and  a 
women’s  hospital.  We  want  you  to  bring  all  the 
latest  wrinkles  in  hospital  buildings  and  other 
things.  We  are  glad  that  we  are  to  be  sent  so 
far  away  from  any  place  that  you  have  ever  seen, 
and  that  there  will  be  no  chance  there  of  meeting 
Old  Scarred  Face  and  Creeping  Sin  who  seem 


SMALL-FEET  TAKES  A JOURNEY  153 


to  have  completely  disappeared.  We  suggest, 
however,  that  you  keep  as  quiet  as  possible  in  the 
City  by  the  Sea  and  sail  directly  for  the  City  of 
the  Blue  Pagoda  without  visiting  the  City  Lying 
in  the  Shadow  of  Purple  Mountain,  as  we  know 
you  long  to  do.  It  is  well  to  avoid  publicity,  so 
we  have  kept  these  plans  to  ourselves.” 

In  a few  days  Little  Small-Feet  cabled  the 
word,  “Coming,”  to  her  distant  friends,  and  with 
all  her  misgivings  forgotten,  she  completed  her 
preparations  for  her  life  work. 


CHAPTER  IX 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 

Low  and  long  forevermore 

Where  the  Wonder-Wander  Sea 
Whispers  to  the  wistful  shore 
Purple  songs  of  mystery, 

Down  the  shadowy  quay  we  came — 

Though  it  hides  behind  the  hill 
You  will  find  it  just  the  same 
And  the  seamen  singing  still. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 

THERE  was  much  excitement  in  the  City  of 
the  Blue  Pagoda  one  clear  November  day. 
It  is  amazing  how  fast  rumor  flies  in  a country 
where  there  are  few  railroads  and  very  little 
telegraphic  communication;  it  almost  seems 
miraculous  the  way  gossip  spreads  over  hill  and 
dale  into  the  out-of-the-way  corners  of  the  Flow- 
ery Kingdom.  It  was  small  wonder  that  many 
shook  their  wise  heads  and  said  that  the  spirits  of 
the  air  were  very  busy  this  autumn,  and  some 
even  went  so  far  as  to  burn  an  extra  incense 
stick  or  two  before  the  household  god  although 
to  many  this  seemed  like  a wild  extravagance. 


154 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  155 


“Wait  until  the  foreigners  really  come,”  they 
exclaimed.  “It  is  foolish  waste  to  spend  money 
so  freely  on  rumors  brought  by  boat  people.” 

“They  swear  by  all  they  know  that  the  strang- 
ers tried  to  talk  price  with  them  when  they  were 
at  a port  on  the  great  river.  But  they  refused  to 
betray  their  native  city  by  bringing  barbarians  to 
live  within  its  walls.  The  sum  they  spoke  of  was 
large,  too;  it  is  not  often  that  we  find  our  boat 
people  so  worthy.” 

“Mark  my  words,  there  is  something  behind  it ; 
I never  knew  Lao  Weh  to  refuse  an  offer  where 
he  could  make  a profit.  There  are  doubts  in  my 
mind  whether  they  talked  with  him  at  all.’” 

“Well,”  replied  the  first  woman,  “it  is  an  ill 
wind  that  is  blowing  over  the  city  to-day.  Here 
is  Lord  Chang  returned  after  many  years  spent 
away  and  in  an  evil  temper.  Those  who  owe  him 
money  need  to  beware.  And  now  the  red-haired 
barbarians  are  coming  also.  It  looks  black  in- 
deed ; it  will  be  a cruel  winter  for  the  poor.  Al- 
though they  do  say  that  foreigners  have  some 
wonderful  magic  by  which  they  heal  the  sick. 
That  man  who  had  the  dispensary  opened  last 
year  cured  old  Song  Sao  Tze,  who  lives  down  by 
the  south  gate,  of  chills.  He  gave  her  little  white 


156  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


pellets  that  were  very  bitter,  but  she  has  been 
well  ever  since.  Lord  Chang  hates  the  foreign- 
ers and  they  will  not  rest  here  long  if  he  can  turn 
them  out.  He  has  to  walk  carefully,  however,  for 
ever  since  the  Boxer  revolution,  the  Government 
rather  frowns  on  killing  foreigners.  They  say 
that  the  Empress  had  to  pay  a million  taels  for 
every  outlander  killed.” 

“Lord  Chang  would  think  twice  before  stirring 
up  trouble  like  that,”  cackled  the  second  woman. 
“They  say  that  every  cash  he  is  forced  to  spend 
takes  a day  off  his  life.  He  would  fall  dead  if  he 
should  be  called  on  for  a million  taels,  although 
he  could  easily  pay  it.” 

“Old  Wang  Dah  Mah  told  me  he  had  to  pay 
an  enormous  ransom  for  his  part  in  the  Boxer 
uprising,  and  that  since  then  he  hates  the  ‘foreign 
devils’  more  than  ever.  Here  she  comes  now; 
perhaps  she  can  tell  us  whether  there  is  any  truth 
in  these  rumors.” 

Slowly  down  the  street  came  Wang  Dah  Mah, 
looking  very  little  older  than  when  she  used  to 
crone  lullabies  over  Little  Small-Feet.  The 
years  have  passed  over  her  kindly,  leaving  only  a 
few  more  wrinkles  to  mark  the  coming  of  age. 

After  a few  polite  questions,  the  woman  fell 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  157 


into  earnest  conversation  over  the  strange  news 
they  had  received  that  day. 

“I  tell  Lady  Chang,”  commented  Wang  Dah 
Mah,  “that  the  pagoda  bells  should  be  rung;  it 
would  be  well  worth  the  cash,  if  we  have  to  pay  it 
out  of  our  own  pockets.  They  were  not  ringing 
when  Little  Small-Feet  was  born  and  ill  luck  has 
followed  the  family  ever  since.  True  they  have 
had  a son  and  he  is  a fine  child,  and  the  crooked 
ways  of  Lord  Chang  he  will  not  follow,  but  de- 
clares that  he  will  go  to  foreign  lands  to  be  edu- 
cated, instead  of  wisely  studying  the  classics  as 
all  his  ancestors  have  done.  He  has  been  truly 
bewitched,  and  he  and  Lord  Chang  are  always 
quarreling;  there  is  no  peace  between  them.  The 
foreigners  at  the  capital  have  turned  the  child’s 
head;  they  know  so  many  evil  enchantments. 
Lord  Chang  will  have  a fit  of  passion  if  he  hears 
the  rumor  that  the  out  landers  are  coming  to  this 
city;  he  brought  us  all  here  to  get  young  Lord 
Chang  away  from  their  influence.” 

“Well,  Wang  Dah  Mah,  you  speak  wisely,” 
replied  the  woman.  “The  pagoda  bells  must 
surely  be  rung  for  the  sake  of  ourselves  and  our 
children.  But  it  would  take  a fortune  to  keep 
them  ringing  night  and  day.  We  must  ask  the 


158  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


priest  if  it  will  be  sufficient  to  ring  them  the  first 
day  the  foreigners  arrive.  Have  you  seen  these 
barbarians  yourself,  and  is  it  true  that  they  have 
a hole  bored  in  their  chest,  so  that  they  may  be 
carried  from  place  to  place  by  means  of  a pole 
thrust  through  their  body?” 

“I  do  not  know,”  replied  Wang  Dah  Mah. 
“For  myself,  I always  keep  at  a safe  distance  and 
smell  camphor  to  keep  from  being  bewitched,  but 
young  Lord  Chang  says  that  it  is  stuff  and  non- 
sense and  that  they  are  made  exactly  like  civilized 
people.  He  wanted  to  have  a foreign  woman 
doctor  for  his  mother’s  cough,  but  of  course  we 
could  not  hear  of  it.” 

“The  world  is  changing  indeed  when  young 
men  wTill  not  listen  to  their  elders  and  are  crazy 
for  new  things,”  answered  the  first  woman. 

“Yes,  the  Empress  herself,”  replied  Wang 
Dah  Mah,  “seems  to  have  had  her  head  turned 
and  is  having  her  portrait  painted  by  a foreign 
woman  artist.” 

“Fortunate  it  is  for  us,  then,  that  the  capital 
lies  so  many  leagues  away.  The  City  of  the  Blue 
Pagoda  has  always  been  noted  for  its  hatred  of 
new  things.  The  golden  age  lies  in  the  past  and 
what  are  we  to  try  to  improve  on  it?  We  must 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  159 


make  it  too  hot  for  these  barbarians;  there  are 
ways  of  doing  it  so  that  the  officials  can  never 
trace  the  plotters.” 

“Well,  for  my  part,”  commented  the  second 
woman,  “it  makes  me  feel  more  kindly  toward 
the  strangers  when  I hear  that  Lord  Chang  hates 
them  so  fiercely,  for  he  always  hates  the  good  and 
loves  the  evil.” 

“There  is  nothing  good  in  the  ‘foreign  devils,’ 
I can  assure  you  of  that,”  said  Wang  Dah  Mah. 
“I  know  what  I know  and  have  seen  what  I have 
seen.”  This  very  vague  condemnation  impressed 
her  friends  mightily,  for  Wang  Dah  Mah  was  the 
only  one  of  the  three  who  had  ever  been  outside 
the  walls  of  the  city.  All  that  she  knew  of  the 
foreigners  had  been  gathered  from  the  gossip  of 
various  vamens;  she  had  never  even  spoken  to 
one,  and  her  prejudice  was  all  the  deeper  for  that 
reason. 

When  she  returned  to  the  home  of  Lord 
Chang,  she  carefully  told  her  mistress  all  the 
news  she  had  heard  and  they  together  agreed  that 
the  future  looked  dark. 

“If  these  foreigners  could  cure  this  cough,” 
sighed  the  lady,  “I  would  almost  risk  their  magic; 
my  son  urges  me  to  try.” 


160  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“Oh,  my  lady,  do  not  speak  such  words  of  ill 
omen!  It  is  enough  to  bring  the  evil  eye  upon 
the  household.  The  medicine  our  ancestors  used 
is  surely  good  enough  for  us.” 

“My  son  says  that  the  old  necromancer  is  a 
fool  and  that  I shall  die  before  he  cures  me.” 
“The  old  necromancer  is  a magician  and  knows 
exactly  what  you  say  at  this  minute,  so  do  be 
careful,  my  lady,  or  it  will  cost  many  taels  and 
perhaps  your  very  existence.” 

“If  only,”  sighed  Lady  Chang,  “I  could  get 
one  glimpse  of  Little  Small-Feet,  I would  not 
care  what  became  of  me.” 

“It  is  also  unwise  to  speak  of  her — remember 
what  the  priest  in  the  temple  said — although,  I 
admit,  I very  often  long  for  her  myself.  We  are 
two  wicked  women,”  and  Wang  Dah  Mah  wiped 
her  sleeve  across  her  eyes. 

Lady  Chang  and  Wang  Dah  Mah  held  this 
discussion  in  the  summer  house  overlooking  the 
river.  They  were  so  deeply  interested  that 
they  paid  no  attention  to  a houseboat  which 
was  at  that  moment  turning  the  bend  of  the 
stream.  A strong  wind  filled  the  tawny  sails 
and  made  the  ship  fairly  dance  on  the  waves. 
Upon  the  deck  stood  Hsie  Yin  and  her 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  161 


friends,  eager  for  the  first  glimpse  of  their 
new  home. 

Nature  had  given  a royal  setting  to  the  city, 
surrounded  as  it  was  with  high  mountains  and 
clothed  in  bamboo  groves  and  terraced  paddy 
fields.  As  for  the  town  with  its  high  walls,  tiled 
roofs,  and  quaint  temples  that  adorned  each 
knoll,  and  with  its  pagoda  pointing  like  a taper- 
ing finger  skyward,  no  description  could  portray 
its  Oriental  charm. 

“To  think  that  I ever  hesitated  about  coming 
back,”  Hsie  Yin  sighed.  “I  must  have  been 
bewitched;  the  lure  of  the  East  would  have 
haunted  me  all  my  days.  Just  compare  the  Flat- 
iron Building  to  that,”  she  continued,  pointing  to 
the  soft  colors  of  the  blue  pagoda.  “Somehow  I 
have  a feeling  that  I have  seen  all  this  before;  I 
can  dimly  remember  climbing  up  into  a balcony 
like  one  of  those  and  being  chased  away  by  a 
black  dog.  I suppose  it  was  in  some  other  city, 
though,  for  when  I was  with  Old  Scarred 
Face,  we  visited  hundreds,  it  seemed  to  me. 
They  are  all  so  dim  and  far  away  in  my  mind 
because  I have  tried  my  best  to  forget  that 
time.” 

“How  the  little  bells  are  blowing  back  and 


162  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


forth  in  this  wind;  they  seem  almost  alive  and 
ringing  with  a purpose!”  exclaimed  the  lady. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  boat  stood  the  doctor 
and  his  native  assistant,  a fine,  tall  man  with  cul- 
tivated face  and  manner  and  the  bearing  of  a 
gentleman.  He  turned  at  that  moment  and 
caught  the  lady’s  last  remark. 

“That  is  a good  omen  for  our  arrival,”  he  re- 
marked. “It  may  make  all  the  difference  be- 
tween whether  we  are  allowed  to  stay  or  are 
driven  out.  The  people  have  a superstition  that 
when  the  pagoda  bells  are  ringing  no  evil  can 
come  to  the  city,  but  if  any  new  event  happens 
when  the  bells  are  quiet,  the  demons  are  busy  and 
harm  will  befall.  The  people  of  this  city,  I am 
sorry  to  say,  are  very  antiforeign  and  I had 
great  difficulty  in  renting  any  house.  The  great 
Lord  Chang  lives  here  and  he  hates  the  strangers. 
As  he  has  mortgages  on  a great  deal  of  the  prop- 
erty, no  one  in  his  power  dares  to  lease  land  with- 
out his  consent.  However,  I managed  to  rent 
premises  in  a high  part  of  the  town,  where  we 
shall  not  be  in  danger  from  the  floods.  See,  it  is 
over  there!”  and  he  pointed  to  some  buildings 
about  half  a mile  from  Lord  Chang’s  residence. 
“It  has  been  used  for  a small  dispensary  and  hos- 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  163 


pital  before  and  is  well  suited  for  our  purpose 
until  we  can  build.” 

At  the  name  of  Lord  Chang,  the  two  ladies 
looked  at  each  other  aghast.  Surely  he  was  the 
man  who  had  crossed  on  the  steamer  with  them 
and  who  was  intimate  with  Creeping  Sin;  and 
they  remembered  that  four  years  before  he  had 
become  famous  all  over  the  world  for  his  part  in 
the  Boxer  movement!  Had  they  run  their  heads 
into  a hornet’s  nest?  They  comforted  themselves 
with  the  fact  that  Lord  Chang  had  refused  to  in- 
terfere to  save  Creeping  Sin  from  deportation  at 
the  time  of  their  voyage  to  America,  and  also 
that  the  nobleman  had  lost  so  much  “face”  in  the 
Boxer  troubles  that  he  was  scarcely  likely  to  in- 
terfere again  with  foreigners. 

“We’re  here  and  we  cannot  turn  back,”  said 
the  Great  Helpful  Lady,  “so  we  must  see  it 
through.  I am  glad  that  we  have  you  to  counsel 
us,  Pastor  Meng.  We  have  never  forgotten  how 
you  hid  us  that  day  on  the  hulk  when  Old  Scarred 
Face  led  the  riot.”  Pastor  Meng  had  been 
trained  as  an  evangelist  because  he  had  shown 
such  stanch  loyalty  to  the  cause  on  the  occasion 
of  the  first  mob. 

The  anchor  was  finally  lowered  and  a board 


164  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


was  laid  as  a gangplank  from  the  deck  to  the 
shore.  A servant  was  sent  to  the  city  to  bring 
chairs  for  the  ladies,  while  the  men  busied  them- 
selves in  collecting  coolies  to  carry  the  luggage. 
Magic  really  must  exist  in  the  Far  East,  for  at 
the  slightest  excitement  men  seem  fairly  to  rise 
out  of  the  ground.  Hardly  had  the  boat  neared 
the  shore,  when  one  or  two  ragged  boys  appeared, 
apparently  bent  on  staring  the  strangers  out  of 
countenance.  Then  a dog  and  a pig  ambled  into 
view  and  an  old  hag,  who  had  come  down  to  the 
river  to  do  a bit  of  washing. 

As  soon  as  she  saw  the  passengers,  she  put  her 
hands  to  her  mouth  and  screamed  to  a crony  in  a 
near-by  hovel, 

“Hurry  up,  the  foreign  devils  have  come ! and 
I cannot  tell  if  they  are  men  or  women.” 

Two  or  three  wheelbarrow  men  ran  forward 
almost  immediately,  leaving  the  loads  which  they 
were  taking  to  market  and  pressing  down  close 
to  the  edge  of  the  river.  By  the  time  the  chairs 
had  arrived  and  the  strangers  could  disembark,  a 
really  formidable  crowd  had  collected  and  was  in- 
creasing every  moment;  the  news,  too,  was 
spreading  through  the  city  like  wildfire  and  they 
felt  that  the  sooner  they  could  get  to  cover  the 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  165 


better.  The  people  were  not  hostile,  only 
vaguely  curious,  but  they  were  far  from  compli- 
mentary in  their  comments. 

One  thing  puzzled  the  rabble  very  much:  in 
spite  of  all  the  rumors  and  gossip  that  had 
reached  them,  no  word  had  been  said  of  a Chinese 
lady  being  of  the  party,  so  when  they  saw  Hsie 
Yin,  they  were  quite  mystified  as  to  her  identity. 
The  fact  that  a cultured  woman  of  their  own  race 
was  with  the  foreigners  made  a good  impression 
and  kept  the  throng  from  an  unfriendly  act.  It 
never  entered  their  minds  that  Hsie  Yin  was  a 
woman  doctor,  although  they  readily  picked  out 
the  foreign  gentleman  as  a physician. 

“See,  he  carries  a black  bag,”  they  whispered. 
“Probably  in  it  are  the  bones  of  infants  he  will 
grind  into  powder.” 

The  talking,  yelling,  and  screaming  continued 
for  some  time  until  at  length  the  coolies  were 
satisfied  with  the  price  offered  to  them  and  con- 
sented to  take  up  their  burdens  and  start  for  the 
city.  It  was  an  imposing  throng  and,  as  it  pro- 
ceeded, the  procession  grew  longer  and  longer. 
Pastor  Meng  took  them  through  the  least  fre- 
quented streets,  but  they  were  well  weary  of  the 
crowd  by  the  time  they  reached  the  wall  that  sur- 


166  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


rounded  their  own  compound.  The  gate  was 
thrown  open  with  a magnificent  gesture  by  their 
ragged  gatekeeper,  and  with  a sigh  of  relief,  they 
heard  it  swing  to  behind  them. 

At  length  they  had  shut  out  the  world  with  its 
curious  eyes  and  unkind  comments,  although  the 
long  night  through  they  could  hear  the  voices  of 
the  loafers,  and  knew  that  many  people  were 
coming  and  going,  ready  at  the  slightest  spark  to 
flame  into  mischief.  Until  early  morning  the 
beating  of  drums  could  be  heard  and  the  flare  of 
bonfires  seen,  and  their  servants  assured  them 
that  pious  souls  in  the  city  had  paid  a large  sum 
to  the  priests  to  propitiate  the  evil  spirits,  who 
might  be  angered  at  the  approach  of  barbarians 
into  their  domain.  The  stranger  never  forgets 
the  first  night  he  spends  in  a heathen  city,  with 
the  weird  cries  and  barking  dogs  and  the  life  of 
the  city  pulsing  around  him. 

The  new  quarters  were  low  native  houses  built 
around  picturesque  courts.  The  quadrangle  of 
their  home  separated  the  men’s  and  women’s 
buildings.  These  wards  opened  each  on  their 
own  courts  and  had  separate  entrances  from  the 
street,  so  that  patients  need  not  invade  the  se- 
clusion of  the  family.  Each  tiny  hospital  had  a 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  167 


dispensary  and  guest  room  and  was  absolutely 
independent  of  the  other. 

“I  have  engaged  a room  for  a chapel  about  a li 
away,”  explained  Pastor  Meng,  “where  I will 
preach  and  have  services.  It  seemed  better  in 
case  of  a riot  not  to  have  the  hospital  too  near. 
My  wife  and  family  are  already  settled  on  an- 
other street.” 

Pastor  Meng,  like  the  good  fairy  he  was,  had 
thought  of  many  devices  to  make  them  comfort- 
able. He  had  had  wooden  floors  laid  over  the 
earthen  pavement,  and  glass  put  in  all  the  win- 
dows, and  some  beautiful  native  furniture,  that 
could  be  bought  for  a song,  installed  in  the  dining 
room.  The  rest  he  had  left  to  the  ladies  to  settle. 
There  were  some  things,  however,  that  even  the 
skilled  hands  of  Pastor  Meng  could  not  do;  he 
could  not  keep  the  rats  from  running  over  the 
ceiling  made  of  bamboo  mats,  nor  the  scorpions 
from  dropping  from  the  same  mats  directly  on 
the  dining-room  table.  Such  incidents  are  taken 
as  a matter  of  course  in  the  Middle  Kingdom. 

The  ladies  at  once  went  to  work  to  settle  the 
house  and  the  hospital,  but  they  were  very  much 
hampered  in  this  undertaking  by  a constant 
stream  of  curious  visitors.  To  avoid  the  sus- 


168  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


picion  of  dark  deeds,  everything  must  of  course 
be  open  for  inspection;  one  day’s  reception  was 
not  enough,  it  must  go  on  day  and  night,  week  in 
and  week  out,  until  all  were  satisfied.  Oh,  the 
weariness  of  spirit  that  comes  from  answering  the 
same  question  over  and  over  when  one  wants  to 
be  putting  away  stores  or  tidying  up  kitchens! 
And,  oh,  the  vast  amount  of  tea  that  was  con- 
sumed— enough,  the  Great  Helpful  Lady  de- 
clared, to  float  an  ocean  steamer!  The  only 
thought  that  upheld  them  was  the  knowledge 
that  allaying  suspicion  was  as  necessary  a part 
of  their  work  as  dressing  wounds  or  nursing 
typhoid  patients. 

Until  after  the  Christmas  they  had  no  patients 
whatsoever;  distrust  was  too  deeply  ingrained  for 
that.  In  fact,  only  the  very  poorest  and  lowest 
of  the  women  would  come  to  them  as  servants. 
These  women,  having  no  reputation  to  lose,  did 
not  care  what  the  neighbors  said,  but  the  efficient, 
decent  amahs  kept  away  from  them  altogether. 

When  the  discouragement  of  it  all  pressed 
upon  them  too  heavily,  they  would  take  chairs 
and  go  for  rides  outside  the  city  gates.  When 
they  were  far  away  from  the  curious  crowds  on 
the  mountain  side,  they  would  leave  their  chairs 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  169 


and  wander  up  and  down  the  winding  paths 
through  the  groves  of  bamboo,  and  rest  their 
spirits  by  drinking  in  the  many  varied  and  en- 
chanting views.  They  discovered  the  Temple  of 
the  Dragon  Pool,  and  the  priests,  an  idle  set,  but 
with  hospitable  instincts,  would  offer  them  tea 
and  allow  them  to  sit  by  the  hour  under  the  shade 
of  the  willows,  and  their  walks  had  to  be  finally 
curtailed  because  a wild  rumor  reached  them  that 
people  were  saying  that  the  foreigners  were  hunt- 
ing for  gold  and  hidden  treasure,  and  held  con- 
verse with  evil  spirits  in  these  walks,  in  the  hopes 
that  the  demons  would  show  them  secret  stores. 

Hsie  Yin’s  first  case  was  the  old  woman  from 
the  south  gate,  who  had  been  cured  of  malaria  by 
the  former  doctor.  She  was  so  poor  and  miser- 
able that  she  scarcely  cared  if  they  did  cast  the 
evil  eye  upon  her. 

She  had  cut  her  hand  and  it  was  in  bad  con- 
dition and  covered  with  dirt  and  rags.  When 
Hsie  Yin  began  to  dress  it,  the  woman  started 
back  in  surprise. 

“Not  you,  Miss  Hsie  Yin,  not  you!  Why  you 
are  a lady;  let  the  foreigner  do  it.  It  was  never 
heard  that  a Chinese  lady  should  be  a doctor; 
that  is  not  our  custom.” 


170  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Hsie  Yin  explained  to  her  that  nevertheless 
she  had  learned  to  be  a doctor  because  her  own 
countrywomen  needed  good  care  so  much. 

“Is  it  not  more  fitting  that  Chinese  women 
should  take  care  of  their  own  sisters  than  to  leave 
it  all  to  the  benevolent  people  of  other  countries?” 
she  asked. 

“There  is  some  truth  in  that,”  replied  the 
woman;  “but  are  you  sure  that  they  have  not 
bewitched  you  and  is  there  no  magic  in  your 
medicine?” 

“None  whatever,  I swear  to  you!”  replied  Hsie 
Yin.  “Would  I,  a loyal  Chinese  woman,  try  to 
bewitch  my  own  people?  The  only  magic  we  use 
is  that  of  love  and  kindness.” 

“That  is  good  magic  and  better  than  to  acquire 
merit,”  answered  the  woman.  “Your  touch, 
gracious  lady,  is  as  light  as  the  thistledown.  The 
old  quack  doctor  on  our  street  wanted  to  burn 
me  with  red-hot  needles,  but  I like  your  way 
best.” 

The  hand  began  to  heal  quickly  and  the 
woman,  who,  though  poor,  had  a wide  circle  of 
acquaintances,  sang  Hsie  Yin’s  praises  far  and 
wide.  It  was  some  time,  however,  before  anyone 
else  was  bold  enough  to  come,  and  the  winter  was 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  171 


nearly  gone  before  Hsie  Yin  had  any  patients 
who  dared  to  trust  themselves  in  the  ward  or 
would  consent  to  an  operation. 

Had  Hsie  Yin’s  college  classmate  known  of 
these  discouragements,  she  would  have  nodded 
her  head  wisely  and  said:  “I  told  you  so.  It 
would  have  been  much  better  to  have  stayed 
where  you  were  wanted,  than  to  go  where 
they  do  not  appreciate  you.  I call  it  a winter 
wasted.” 

Hsie  Yin,  however,  did  not  waste  time.  She 
spent  these  months  of  inactivity  studying  the 
Chinese  classics,  language,  and  etiquette,  so  that 
she  might  be  better  able  to  understand  the  heart 
of  the  people. 

The  first  in-patient  was  a poor  woman  blind 
from  a cataract,  and  a comparatively  simple 
operation  brought  back  her  sight.  When  the 
bandages  were  removed  and  she  saw  the  shape  of 
things  in  the  room  and  Hsie  Yin’s  bright  face, 
her  joy  knew  no  bounds. 

“Why,  Dr.  Hsie  Yin,  you  are  a lady!  I knew 
you  had  a sweet  voice  and  a light  touch  but  I 
never  dreamed  you  were  a lady ! Why,  you  have 
waited  on  me  like  a servant!”  she  exclaimed. 

“I  wanted  to  make  you  well,”  replied  Hsie 


172  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Yin,  “and  I did  it  because  I loved  you,  Li  Sao 
Tze.” 

Li  Sao  Tze  was  forced  to  believe  her  be- 
cause the  love  shone  in  every  line  of  Hsie  Yin’s 
face. 

“I  don’t  understand  it,”  murmured  Li  Sao 
Tze ; “we  Chinese  talk  of  duty  and  filial  piety  but 
we  do  not  talk  about  love,  and  we  do  not  take 
strangers  in  and  treat  them  as  if  they  were  our 
own  blood.  I never  knew  there  could  be  places 
like  this  hospital.  Do  not  send  me  away,  honor- 
able lady;  let  me  always  stay  near  you!” 

It  nearly  broke  Hsie  Yin’s  heart  to  have  to  say 
“No”  to  the  old  woman,  but  the  hospital  was  far 
too  small  to  hold  all  grateful  patients.  She 
promised  the  good  soul  that  she  could  see  her  fre- 
quently and  occasionally  she  could  do  light  clean- 
ing at  the  hospital. 

Hsie  Yin’s  reputation  grew  and  spread  from 
the  moment  that  Li  Sao  Tze  returned  to  her 
home.  Her  neighbors  came  crowding  in  to  hear 
of  this  amazing  cure.  It  was  soon  abroad 
through  the  city  that  a Chinese  lady  had  become 
a doctor  and  that  she  could  make  the  blind  see. 
The  story  grew  and  grew  until  it  was  commonly 
reported  that  both  doctors  could  not  only  make 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  173 


the  blind  see,  but  that  they  could  do  it  in  cases 
where  the  eyes  were  gone  from  the  sockets. 

Li  Sao  Tze  would  talk  to  her  old  friend  from 
the  south  gate,  and  the  women  of  the  neighbor- 
hood would  listen  open-mouthed  to  the  marvels 
they  would  tell. 

“Of  course,  the  foreigners  are  quite  mad,” 
they  would  say.  “None  but  crazy  people  would 
study  to  be  doctors  and  ask  so  small  a price,  but 
it  was  a glad  day  for  the  poor  when  they  came  to 
this  city.  Did  Lord  Chang  ever  think  of  us  or 
raise  a finger  for  us?  No!  Give  us  these  mad 
foreigners  every  time!” 

The  crowd  would  nod  the  approval  they  felt, 
but  sometimes  one  or  two  would  say, 

“Such  talk  is  not  safe;  if  Lord  Chang  hears,  he 
will  run  you  all  out  of  the  city.” 

Hsie  Yin’s  practice  grew  apace.  Some  came 
from  real  ailments  and  many  more  from  curios- 
ity, but  in  some  way,  by  the  charm  of  her  man- 
ner and  her  ready  sympathy,  she  won  them  all 
and  “those  who  came  to  scoff  remained  to  pray.” 
When  the  hot  summer  months  came  on,  the 
friends  consulted  as  to  whether  they  should  not 
rent  part  of  the  Temple  by  the  Dragon  Pool  for 
a month  and  get  a little  rest  and  change.  The  air 


174  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


was  very  sultry  in  their  compound  and  the  at- 
tendance at  the  hospitals  not  quite  so  large,  so 
when  August  finally  arrived,  with  its  dog  days 
and  its  sickening  odors,  they  decided  to  retreat  to 
the  mountain  side,  glad  of  such  a refuge. 

One  or  two  weeks  slipped  by  in  idleness  or  in 
exploring  some  of  the  out-of-the-way  mountain 
paths.  This  had  to  be  done  with  discretion  as 
villagers  assured  them  that  two  tigers  had  re- 
cently been  seen  in  this  vicinity.  The  doctor  al- 
ways carried  a revolver  and  took  the  lead  in  these 
excursions,  but  nothing  wilder  than  a sheep  was 
encountered. 

Twice  a week  the  doctor  went  down  to  the  city 
for  a clinic  and  to  keep  in  touch  with  the  situ- 
ation there.  One  day  at  the  beginning  of  the 
third  week  of  their  stay,  he  went  down,  but  at 
evening  he  did  not  return  as  usual.  They  waited 
until  late  in  the  evening,  consumed  with  anxiety. 
Had  he  met  the  tiger?  Was  there  a riot  in  the 
city?  The  temple  was  not  a safe  place  for  two 
women  to  remain  alone.  What  should  they  do? 

Just  as  they  were  about  to  give  him  up  for  the 
night,  their  trusted  servant  appeared  with  coolies 
and  two  chairs.  He  handed  them  a note  from 
the  doctor  which  read: 


THE  CITY  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA  175 


“Cholera  has  broken  out  in  the  city  and  I can- 
not leave.  Neither  is  it  safe  for  you  to  be  alone 
in  the  temple  overnight.  I have  sent  the  chairs 
so  that  you  can  return  immediately,  for  we  shall 
need  every  hand  if  we  are  to  fight  this  plague.  I 
have  received  a pass  from  the  head  official,  so  that 
the  city  gates  will  be  left  open  and  you  can  enter 
without  trouble.  Come  as  soon  as  possible!” 
Cholera  in  the  city!  They  would  rather  have 
met  the  tiger ! 


CHAPTER  X 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


The  black-barred  moon  was  large  and  low 
When  we  came  to  the  Forest  of  Ancient  Woe; 

And  over  our  head  the  stars  were  bright. 

But  through  the  forest  the  path  was  traveled 
Its  phosphorescent  aisle  unraveled 

In  one  thin  ribbon  of  dwindling  light: 

And  twice  and  thrice  on  the  fainting  track 
We  paused  to  listen.  The  moon  grew  black, 

But  the  coolies’  faces  glimmered  white, 

As  the  wild  wood  echoed  in  dreadful  chorus 
A laugh  that  comes  horribly  hopping  o’er  us 
Like  monstrous  frogs  thro’  the  murky  night. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 

ONE  would  scarcely  choose  a tiger-infested 
path  in  the  heart  of  an  unfriendly  country 
for  a quiet  evening  ramble,  but  under  the  circum- 
stances Hsie  Yin  and  her  lady  could  not  hesitate, 
for  their  duty  lay  in  the  city.  They  gathered 
their  few  possessions  together  in  great  haste,  said 
good-by  to  the  priests,  and  in  the  course  of  an 
hour  were  on  the  road. 

The  coolies  were  not  at  all  in  favor  of  this  ad- 
venture and  the  doctor  had  been  forced  to  give 


176 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


177 


them  twice  their  regular  pay  before  they  would 
consent  to  leave  the  town.  They  very  wisely  con- 
sidered tiger-  and  demon-haunted  hills  a poor 
place  to  be  found  after  dark.  The  party  had  pro- 
ceeded about  one  li  when  the  men  put  down  the 
chairs  and  refused  to  proceed  unless  more  money 
was  paid  to  them.  The  ladies  pleaded  in  vain; 
the  fellows  would  listen  to  no  arguments  and,  to 
prove  their  determination,  one  man  started  down 
the  path  and  disappeared  into  the  shadows. 
Those  left  behind  called  and  hallooed  in  vain, 
and  in  order  to  keep  the  other  bearers,  the 
friends  were  forced  to  yield.  Lao  Pong,  the 
foreigners’  faithful  boy,  took  up  the  pole  that 
the  truant  had  dropped  and  again  they  moved 
forward. 

For  the  first  few  li  a new  moon  threwr  a feeble 
light  along  the  path,  but  later  the  mists  that  arose 
from  the  ponds  and  lakes  hid  it  completely  and 
the  bearers  had  to  feel  their  way  along.  The 
mountain  side  was  interlaced  with  many  winding 
trails  and  in  the  darkness  there  was  grave  danger 
that  the  party  would  lose  its  way  and  be  forced 
to  spend  the  night  in  wandering.  The  air  was 
full  of  noises  that  sounded  strangely  like  the 
stealthy  footfall  of  a tiger  and  the  high  grasses 


178  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


on  either  side  of  their  chairs  easily  might  have 
concealed  some  lurking  beast  ready  to  spring  on 
its  prey. 

After  an  hour  of  very  slow  progress,  the  com- 
pany reached  a group  of  huts;  here  the  men  pro- 
cured straw  torches  which  were  nearly  as  long  as 
themselves.  These  torches  burned  brightly,  so 
that  from  that  time  forward  their  speed  materi- 
ally quickened.  The  ladies  were  too  deep  in 
thought  of  what  might  happen  in  the  future  to 
pay  much  heed  to  their  surroundings,  but  a Rem- 
brandt would  have  delighted  in  the  scene.  The 
lights  from  the  torches  threw  the  figures  of  the 
coolies  and  their  burdens  into  high  relief,  while 
the  mists  obscured  everything  but  a bit  of  the 
road  ahead.  The  villages,  as  they  approached, 
would  gradually  take  on  shape  and  the  little 
twinkling  lights  with  the  bright  fire  from  the 
forge  showed  the  thatched  roofs  and  the  quaint 
outlines  of  the  houses,  but  fortunately  failed  to 
reveal  the  prevailing  squalor. 

The  first  glimpse  which  the  friends  caught  of 
the  city  made  them  exclaim  with  surprise  and 
horror,  for  from  many  quarters  high  flames  were 
ascending  and  columns  of  smoke  filled  the  heated 
air  with  the  smell  of  burning  wood. 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


170 


“What  has  happened?  Who  has  set  the  town 
on  fire?”  gasped  Ilsie  Yin  to  Lao  Pong. 

“Those  are  bonfires  to  keep  away  the  sickness, 
and  they  are  also  burning  the  clothes  of  the  dead. 
The  official  has  ordered  this  done  on  every 
street,”  he  replied. 

“Is  the  cholera  so  very  bad?”  she  asked. 

“Very,  very  bad,”  he  answered.  “Every  fam- 
ily has  its  victim.” 

As  the  party  drew  yet  nearer  to  their  home, 
they  caught  the  sound  of  tom-toms  and  the  beat- 
ing of  drums  and  the  boom  of  the  temple  bells 
that  were  to  frighten  away  the  demons  that 
caused  the  illness ; added  to  these  noises  were  the 
wailing  of  mourners  and  the  moans  of  the  dying. 

Hsie  Yin  little  realized  how  accustomed  she 
was  to  growr  to  such  sounds  in  the  coming  wreeks, 
and  she  only  thought  to  herself,  “Surely,  this, 
too,  is  the  call  of  the  East.” 

When  the  ladies  finally  arrived  at  their  com- 
pound, a faint  glimmer  of  what  was  before  them 
began  to  dawn  on  their  minds.  They  found 
every  available  spot  in  the  wards  taken,  and  the 
doctor  so  busy  that  he  could  scarcely  take  time  to 
greet  them.  Neither  of  the  two  women  thought 
of  sleep  although  the  doctor  urged  them  to 


180  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


snatch  a few  hours’  rest  before  they  began  their 
work. 

“It  is  bound  to  last  a month  at  least,”  he  as- 
sured them;  “I  have  never  known  the  cholera  to 
get  such  a foothold  in  so  short  a time.  Last 
week  I had  a few  cases  which  I did  not  tell  you 
about  for  fear  it  would  needlessly  alarm  you.  I 
immediately  notified  the  officials,  and  sent  them 
some  posters  which  I had  prepared,  describing 
how  to  prevent  and  treat  the  disease.  I also 
asked  the  officials  to  forbid  the  sale  of  melons 
and  all  unripe  fruit,  and  not  to  allow  the  people 
from  this  city  to  trade  with  other  near-by  towns 
or  villages.  The  head  Tao  Tai  [official]  has  con- 
sented to  the  notices’  being  posted  on  the  city 
gates,  but  as  for  stopping  the  sale  of  fruit,  that 
would  ruin  the  fruit-sellers’  trade  and  could  not 
be  thought  of.  The  restriction  of  traffic  was  an- 
other foolish  foreign  notion;  the  outside  places 
must  look  out  for  themselves.” 

A strenuous  time  now  began  for  those  in 
charge  of  the  hospital.  They  had  scarcely  time 
to  eat  and  sleep,  and  for  whole  days  together 
they  could  not  undress  but  threw  themselves  on 
their  beds  to  catch  just  enough  repose  to  keep 
them  alive.  Many  cases  were  saved  by  means  of 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


181 


a remedy  which  had  been  recently  discovered  but 
which  took  much  time  and  strength  to  admin- 
ister. In  this  way  patients  coming  to  them  in  a 
state  of  collapse  were  brought  back  to  life.  The 
fame  of  the  two  doctors  spread  like  wildfire 
through  the  city,  and  as  a result  the  streets  lead- 
ing to  the  hospital  were  choked  writh  the  litters 
of  the  sick. 

The  epidemic  made  no  distinctions  as  to  rank; 
rich  and  poor  alike  were  stricken.  Beautifully 
embroidered  coats  were  no  protection,  and  some 
of  the  ladies  who  had  graced  Little  Small-Feet’s 
first  birthday  party  were  among  the  afflicted. 
These  women  were  too  prejudiced  against  any- 
thing foreign  to  call  in  the  doctors,  so  there  was 
no  hope  of  cure  for  them. 

Lord  Chang  was  panic-stricken  and  would 
have  gone  from  the  city,  but  as  the  epidemic 
raged  throughout  the  country  there  was  no  hope 
of  safety  anywhere.  He  therefore  shut  himself 
up  in  the  men’s  court,  and  refused  to  take  any  of 
the  precautions  suggested  by  the  posters,  but 
spent  his  days  in  holding  camphor  to  his  nose  in 
the  approved  Chinese  fashion. 

One  day  when  the  disease  was  at  its  worst, 
Wang  Dah  Mah  fell  ill  and  there  was  no  mis- 


182  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


taking  her  symptoms.  News  of  it  was  brought 
to  her  worthy  master  and  he  turned  white  with 
anger  to  think  that  the  illness  should  have  had 
the  presumption  to  enter  the  noble  palace  of  the 
Changs  and  endanger  his  precious  life.  He  im- 
mediately ordered  that  the  amah  should  be  turned 
out  on  the  street.  Lady  Chang,  who  was  more 
humane,  spent  an  hour  in  entreaty,  but  he  was 
obdurate. 

“You  are  beside  yourself,”  he  answered. 
“Shall  we  allow  misfortune  to  follow  us  by  per- 
mitting a servant  to  die  in  our  house?  You  know 
the  customs  of  the  family;  what  our  fathers  did 
so  we  must  do;  on  the  streets  she  must  go!” 

“The  customs  of  the  family  of  Changs  have 
always  been  very  cruel,”  thought  Lady  Chang  to 
herself,  but  she  was  forced  to  submit. 

Lord  Chang,  however,  had  reckoned  without 
his  son  who,  when  he  heard  what  his  father  had 
done,  was  very  angry.  He  thought  of  the  faith- 
ful service  Wang  Dah  Mali  had  rendered  the 
family  these  many  years,  and  his  heart  burned 
within  him.  Was  she  to  be  rewarded  in  such  a 
manner?  Not  if  he  could  do  anything  to  prevent 
it!  He  ordered  bearers  and  had  his  old  nurse 
gently  lifted  from  the  street,  where  she  lay  in 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


183 


agony,  and  had  her  carried  to  the  foreign  hos- 
pital. The  shades  of  all  the  ancestors  of  young 
Lord  Chang  must  have  turned  over,  each  in  his 
appointed  place,  at  this  act,  for  it  was  not  the 
custom  of  the  Changs  to  show  benevolence. 

Wang  Dah  Mali  was  too  far  gone  to  care 
where  she  was  taken,  or  she  might  even  then  have 
raised  a protest.  Fortunately  for  her,  the  name 
of  Lord  Chang  had  such  power  that  everything 
in  the  street  gave  wray  to  her  coolies,  and  before 
many  minutes  elapsed  she  was  taken  to  the 
woman’s  ward  and  was  undergoing  the  necessary 
treatment,  and  in  the  course  of  a few  hours  she 
began  to  improve  and  to  take  in  her  surround- 
ings. Hsie  Yin  was  too  busy  to  pay  particular 
attention  to  any  one  patient  and  so  it  happened 
that  Wang  Dah  Mali  had  sized  the  young  doctor 
up  long  before  Little  Small-Feet  had  noticed  her 
old  nurse.  The  amah’s  impression  of  the  hospital 
was  much  like  that  which  Little  Small-Feet  had 
received  in  the  City  Lying  in  the  Shadow  of  Pur- 
ple Mountain.  The  cleanliness  was  of  course 
most  surprising  and  also  the  discipline,  but  to 
Wang  Dah  Mah,  fresh  from  a palace,  it  seemed 
a trifle  bare.  She  could  not  get  over  her  surprise 
that  a Chinese  lady  would  do  for  her  the  little 


184  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


services  that  Little  Small-Feet  was  continually 
performing;  it  certainly  was  not  fitting,  and  yet 
the  doctor  acted  with  so  much  grace  that  she  did 
not  seem  to  lose  dignity. 

After  old  Wang  Dah  Mah  had  been  under 
treatment  for  a few  days,  she  was  able  to  sit  up, 
and  it  was  then  that  Hsie  Yin  began  to  notice  her 
more  closely.  Wang  Dah  Mah  was  so  very  re- 
spectable and  of  such  a different  type  from  the 
other  patients  that  Hsie  Yin’s  curiosity  was 
aroused. 

“May  I ask  your  honorable  name,  and  where 
you  are  from?”  Little  Small-Feet  inquired  one 
morning. 

“My  unworthy  name  is  Wang,”  answered 
Wang  Dah  Mah,  “and  I come  from  the  house  of 
Lotd  Chang.” 

Secretly  pleased  at  being  noticed  by  the  busy 
young  doctor,  the  woman  was  bright  enough  to 
realize  that  had  it  not  been  for  those  clever  hands 
her  earthly  life  would  have  ended  in  a city  street, 
so  her  old  prejudices  were  flying  fast.  Hsie  Yin 
started  at  the  name  of  Chang,  remembering  how 
Lord  Chang  and  Creeping  Sin  had  kept  to- 
gether on  the  steamer.  Could  this  woman  be  a 
spy  of  Old  Scarred  Face? 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


185 


“Do  you  know  a man  by  the  name  of  Creeping 
Sin  and  a beggar  called  Old  Scarred  Face?”  she 
asked  of  her  patient. 

“It  is  not  the  custom  of  respectable  people  to 
know  such  characters,”  answered  Wang  Dah 
Mah  much  offended.  The  Chinese  lady  could 
not  be  so  lovely  after  all  if  she  spoke  of  beggars. 

Little  Small-Feet  saw  that  she  had  made  a 
mistake;  this  worthy  old  woman  evidently  knew 
nothing  of  Lord  Chang’s  relationship  with 
Creeping  Sin,  and  the  girl  drew  a sigh  of  relief. 

“Wang  Dah  Mah  is  a beautiful  name,”  Little 
Small-Feet  continued;  “I  have  always  loved  that 
name  for  some  reason.” 

This  statement  mollified  Wang  Dah  Mah  and, 
as  the  days  went  by,  her  heart  warmed  more  and 
more  to  Hsie  Yin  and  she  would  sing  her  praises 
to  the  other  patients. 

“Yes,  the  foreigner  is  lovely  and  has  the  ways 
of  a virtuous  woman,  as  you  say,  but  give  me  the 
little  doctor;  she  comes  from  our  own  country 
and  knows  our  customs  and  see  how  clever  she  is ! 
Even  the  coolies  respect  her  and  do  as  she  bids ; 
she  is  the  person  for  me.  But  what  makes  her  do 
all  this  wThen  she  might  be  married  and  have  an 
honorable  husband  and  sons  that  would  carry  on 


186  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


her  name?  I must  learn  more  of  this  doctrine 
they  are  always  talking  about,  and  see  if  it  will 
tell  me.  It  has  something  to  do  with  love,  I 
know,  and  to  love  is  certainly  an  excellent  thing. 
I loved  Little  Small-Feet  but  she  was  taken  away 
by  evil  spirits  and  that  was  bad.” 

Wang  Dah  Mah  was  true  to  her  word  and  set 
herself  zealously  to  work  to  learn  the  secret  that 
had  made  Hsie  Yin  and  her  lady  lead  a life  of 
sacrifice.  The  amah  attended  all  the  services  in 
the  chapel  and  the  prayers  in  the  ward,  for  by 
this  time  she  was  able  to  walk  about,  and  her 
mind  must  have  been  the  good  ground  told  of  in 
the  parable,  for  in  an  incredibly  short  time  she 
accepted  the  teaching. 

“It’s  bound  to  be  true  if  Dong  Hsiao  Dje  [Dr. 
Dong]  says  so,  and  I know  that  she  is  right,  be- 
cause the  story  rests  my  heart,”  Wang  Dah  Mah 
often  exclaimed.  “The  kind  deeds  they  do  is  all 
the  proof  I need.” 

When  the  amah  told  the  story  of  how  Lord 
Chang  had  had  her  turned  into  the  street,  her 
friends  felt  that  for  the  present  at  least  it  would 
be  impossible  for  her  to  return  to  the  palace.  At 
first  they  suggested  that  she  should  stay  with 
some  relatives  until  the  scare  about  the  cholera 


,y*r 


WANG  DA  II  M All  AKTKH  Mil:  HAD  I. EARNED  THE  STOKY  THAT  RESTED  THE  HEART 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


187 


had  blown  over,  but  Wang  Dah  Mali  pleaded  so 
earnestly  to  be  allowed  to  help  with  the  nursing 
that  it  was  decided  that  she  should  remain  as 
matron  of  the  hospital.  A person  of  her  respect- 
ability would  give  the  foreigners  “face”  with  the 
better  class  of  patients  as  nothing  else  could  do. 

It  was  quite  amazing  how  soon  Wang  Dah 
Mah  made  herself  indispensable,  for  there  seemed 
a peculiar  bond  between  her  and  Hsie  Yin  that 
made  them  understand  each  other  by  a look  or  a 
gesture  and  the  devotion  of  the  amah  to  the 
young  doctor  was  pretty  to  see. 

“Wang  Dah  Mah,  I must  teach  you  to  read,” 
said  Hsie  Yin  one  day  when  the  rush  of  patients 
had  stopped  a little. 

“Teach  me  to  read,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje?  But 
that  is  impossible;  I am  too  old,”  replied  the  be- 
wildered Wang  Dah  Mah. 

“Older  people  than  you  have  done  it  long 
before  now,”  returned  her  friend.  “Would  you 
not  like  to  read  for  yourself  the  gracious  story  of 
the  Master  healing  the  sick  with  a touch  of  the 
hand?” 

“Oh,  yes,  and  the  way  he  praised  the  humble 
women  who  served  him.  Do  you  think  he  could 
ever  say  such  wrords  to  a person  like  me,  who  has 


188  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


only  begun  to  try  so  late  in  life?”  asked  the  good 
soul. 

“Indeed  he  will,  for  you  are  not  the  one  to 
blame;  you  did  not  know,”  answered  Hsie  Yin. 

“If  it  had  not  been  for  the  cholera,  I would 
not  know  now  Dong  Hsiao  Dje.” 

The  old  woman’s  face  fairly  shone  with  joy  at 
the  new  hope  that  had  dawned  in  her  life,  and  as 
she  watched  her  expression,  Hsie  Yin  thought 
with  a pang  how  nearly  she  had  missed  this 
moment  by  accepting  a position  in  another  land. 
She  also  remembered  the  number  of  people  who 
would  have  died  that  summer,  had  she  not  been 
there  to  help.  The  sacrifice  had  paid  already. 
Oh,  how  it  had  paid! 

From  that  time  forward,  whenever  there  was  a 
spare  moment,  Wang  Dah  Mah  might  be  seen 
poring  over  a book,  her  mouth  screwed  up  into 
strange  shapes  as  a laborious  finger  pointed  to 
each  quaint  character.  As  she  went  about  her 
work  she  would  be  heard  croning  to  herself,  very 
much  off  the  key,  the  Chinese  version  of  “Jesus 
Loves  Me.” 

In  this  manner  life  at  the  hospital  went  on, 
and  Hsie  Yin  and  her  friends  were  happy  and 
busy  and  utterly  unconscious  of  a small  cloud,  a 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


189 


very  small  cloud,  that  was  coming  up  on  the 
horizon;  but  small  clouds  sometime  portend  a 
hurricane. 

The  epidemic  was  waning  and  people  who  had 
been  busy  caring  for  the  sick  now  had  time  to 
talk  and  wonder  and  spread  rumors.  There 
were  two  recent  arrivals  in  the  city  who  were 
aware  of  this  fact  and  aching  to  take  advantage 
of  it  for  their  own  evil  designs.  These  two  people 
were  of  course  Creeping  Sin  and  Old  Scarred 
Face,  who  through  their  network  of  spies  had 
learned  of  Little  Small-Feet’s  presence  at  the 
hospital.  Xothing  could  have  equaled  the 
worthy  pair’s  satisfaction  at  this  information.  It 
was  beyond  belief  that  the  three  people  whom 
they  had  hunted  so  long  should  be  in  this  inland 
city,  far  from  the  protection  of  other  foreigners. 
Had  they  been  in  the  north,  it  would  have  been 
different ; a punitive  expedition  might  have  been 
sent;  but  here  the  accomplices  could  escape  long 
before  the  news  of  trouble  could  reach  the  City 
by  the  Sea.  There  was  plenty  of  time  to  lay  their 
plots;  they  must  work  slowly  and  carefully  and 
have  the  plan  in  perfect  order  before  they  at- 
tempted to  act. 

The  news  that  young  Lord  Chang  had  taken 


190  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


the  amah  to  the  hospital  without  his  father’s  con- 
sent, and  that  the  young  man  had  been  several 
times  in  the  company  of  the  foreign  doctor, 
furthered  their  hopes  of  getting  Lord  Chang  in- 
terested in  their  schemes.  Many  a night  Old 
Scarred  Face  spent  in  the  Spider’s  den  in  close 
conference  with  Creeping  Sin.  The  net  that  had 
been  spread  for  years  was  to  be  drawn  around 
the  victim  at  last. 

As  for  Lord  Chang,  he  had  grown  very  weary 
of  his  enforced  isolation  in  his  palace  and  one  day 
when  he  received  an  invitation  to  a feast  from  one 
of  his  most  disreputable  acquaintances,  he  de- 
cided that  here  was  an  opportunity  to  relieve  his 
boredom. 

The  feast  proceeded  with  the  usual  formalities 
and  observances  of  etiquette  and  the  conversation 
was  general,  but  during  one  of  the  courses,  while 
the  other  guests  were  deep  in  a discussion,  Lord 
Chang’s  next  neighbor  whispered  to  him : 

“Creeping  Sin  has  returned  to  the  city,  and  he 
has  a scheme  he  wants  to  lay  before  your  high- 
ness, that  he  thinks  will  be  of  great  profit.  He 
will  meet  you  in  a place  you  know  of  to-morrow 
evening.” 

Lord  Chang,  without  changing  a muscle  of  his 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


191 


face  to  show  that  he  had  heard,  continued  dain- 
tily helping  himself  to  a delicate  piece  of  sea  slug. 
This  fellow  must  not  think  that  he,  the  great 
Lord  Chang,  cared  one  snap  of  a finger  for 
Creeping  Sin  and  his  message. 

At  this  minute  a hush  fell  on  the  company,  so 
no  reply  could  be  made  and  the  feast  continued 
to  its  end  without  Lord  Chang’s  speaking  again 
to  his  neighbor. 

The  w'hole  of  the  next  day  Lord  Chang  was  in 
two  minds  about  accepting  Creeping  Sin’s  invi- 
tation. “The  man  is  getting  too  impudent,”  he 
thought,  “these  affairs  should  be  arranged  by  go- 
betweens.”  Still  he  remembered  there  were  some 
things  too  delicate  to  arrange  by  such  agents; 
the  fewer  the  people  involved  in  them,  the  less 
danger  there  was  of  being  caught. 

In  the  evening,  therefore,  he  ordered  his  chair 
and  was  carried  away.  Creeping  Sin  wras  too 
wily  to  invite  a man  of  Lord  Chang’s  position 
into  the  den  where  he  had  received  Old  Scarred 
Face.  He  had  many  haunts  throughout  the  city, 
and  he  met  no  twro  people  in  the  same  place.  The 
nobleman  found  his  host  ready  and  waiting,  and 
the  sly  man  w7as  all  obsequiousness  and  courtesy. 
There  was  in  his  cringing  manner  that  which 


192  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


would  have  revolted  anyone  Jess  vain  than  Lord 
Chang,  but  to  him  such  treatment  was  as  the 
breath  of  life.  The  sweetmeats  were  of  the  most 
delicate  flavor  and  the  tea  had  just  been  brought 
the  day  before  from  the  banks  of  the  river  Han. 

A full  hour  was  consumed  in  polite  nothings 
and  gossip  of  the  city,  and  not  until  the  opium 
pipes  were  brought  out  and  the  men  began  to 
feel  its  soothing  effects  did  Creeping  Sin  turn  the 
conversation  toward  his  object.  He  first  sug- 
gested that  he  wished  to  borrow  money  for  a 
friend,  and  after  much  bargaining  offered  such  a 
high  rate  of  interest  that  Lord  Chang  was  in  a 
great  good  humor.  Then  very  carefully  he 
engineered  the  conversation  to  the  subject  of  the 
foreigners  and  their  work  in  the  city. 

“I  feel  myself  far  too  unworthy  to  make  sug- 
gestions to  your  highness,  but  the  proverb  says 
that  ‘where  the  prince  leads  the  people  follow,’ 
and  perhaps  if  some  plan  was  put  on  foot,  we 
could  drive  these  barbarians  away.” 

“Meddling  with  foreigners  is  bad  for  the 
health,”  replied  Lord  Chang,  thinking  how  heav- 
ily his  pocketbook  had  suffered  on  account  of  the 
Boxer  movement. 

“Your  excellency’s  wisdom  is  broader  than  the 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


193 


ocean,  yet  we  all  realize  that  ‘strict  fathers  make 
filial  sons.’  It  is  widely  known  through  the  city 
that  the  young  lord,  your  noble  son,  has  been  seen 
with  the  foreign  doctor;  in  fact  he  is  frequently 
at  the  hospital  and  Wang  Dah  Mah,  the  old 
amah,  was  treated  there  for  cholera.  Does  it 
seem  strange  that  the  impression  is  being  spread 
that  you  are  smiling  on  the  foreigners  with  your 
august  favors?”  As  he  asked  this  question, 
Creeping  Sin  watched  Lord  Chang  very  keenly. 

Needless  to  say  no  such  impression  was 
abroad;  the  relations  between  Lord  Chang  and 
his  son  were  very  well  known  in  the  city,  and  the 
fact  that  Wang  Dah  Mah  had  been  turned  out 
in  the  street  pretty  widely  discussed.  Lord 
Chang  heard  this  news  with  not  a change  of  fea- 
ture but  he  nearly  bit  the  stem  of  his  pipe 
through  in  his  rage.  What  was  the  world  coming 
to,  that  sons  wrere  thwarting  their  fathers  behind 
their  backs? 

“These  rumors  are  new  to  me,  but  if  they  are 
correct,  something  must  be  done.  What  would 
you  suggest?  If  what  I hear  is  true,  you  are  not 
wanting  in  resources.  Why  do  you  come  to 
me?”  Lord  Chang  replied. 

“ ‘Where  the  prince  leads  the  people  follow’ 


194  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


was  ever  a wise  proverb.  Lord  Chang’s  reputa- 
tion is  not  bounded  by  the  seas;  he  is  known  to 
the  ends  of  the  earth.”  Creeping  Sin’s  compli- 
ment was  not  idle,  for  Lord  Chang’s  name  had 
been  discussed  in  every  cabinet  in  Europe  and 
America  at  the  time  of  the  Boxer  uprising. 

“Names  are  not  safe  tools  to  use,”  replied  the 
nobleman  with  a threatening  scowl.  “There  are 
others  beside  mine  that  are  well  known.” 

“Your  wisdom  is  as  deep  and  wide  as  the 
Pacific  Ocean;  discretion  is  always  the  wisest 
course;  it  is  easy  enough  to  start  a rumor  of 
poisoned  wells  and  strange  incantations.  A little 
cash  wisely  spent  oils  the  wheels  in  such  cases, 
and  this  time  the  barbarians  must  be  extermi- 
nated; no  halfway  measures  ever  drive  out  ver- 
min. It  would  be  worth  the  price  to  hire  men  to 
do  it.” 

“My  purse  is  as  clean  as  though  it  had  been 
washed;  I could  contribute  only  what  is  a patch 
under  the  armpit  to  complete  a whole  jacket,” 
answered  Lord  Chang.  “How  much  is  desired?” 

“Your  excellency  is  generous,  as  always,” 
responded  Creeping  Sin  with  a ceremonious 
bow. 

For  the  remainder  of  the  evening,  the  two  con- 


THE  DEADLY  PESTILENCE 


195 


spirators  haggled  over  “price”  and  who  should 
hire  the  assassins.  Creeping  Sin  wished  the 
nobleman  to  do  the  negotiating  with  the  crim- 
inals, hoping  in  this  way  to  get  him  more  deeply 
involved  in  the  affair,  but  he  was  unsuccessful 
and  was  forced  to  be  contented  with  Lord 
Chang’s  offer  to  contribute  part  of  the  bribe. 

“I  will  have  some  hidden  witnesses  when  he 
pays  the  money;  it  will  amount  to  the  same 
thing,”  thought  the  Spider. 

The  final  farewells  were  said  and  the  guest 
bowed  out,  and  then  Creeping  Sin  clapped  his 
hands,  and  from  an  inner  apartment  Old  Scarred 
Face  and  a man  appeared. 

“Well,  old  hag,  you  have  heard  the  talk,  are 
you  satisfied  with  the  result?”  asked  Creeping 
Sin  with  his  slanting  look  and  horrid  grin. 

“May  all  our  enemies  be  as  much  in  our  power 
as  that  purse-proud  lord!”  she  answered. 

The  night  was  passed  by  the  trio  in  completing 
the  plot  and  hiring  their  accomplices;  for  thor- 
oughness of  detail,  nothing  could  surpass  the 
combined  powers  of  Old  Scarred  Face  and 
Creeping  Sin.  They  were  absolutely  certain 
that  this  time  no  earthly  power  should  balk  them 
of  their  prey. 


CHAPTER  XI 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


Be  a good  soldier,  and  a guardian  just; 
Likewise  an  upright  judge.  Let  no  one  thrust 
You  in  a dubious  cause  to  testify 
Through  fear  of  tyrant’s  vengeance  to  a lie. 
Count  it  is  baseness  if  your  soul  prefer 
Safety  above  what  honor  asks  of  her ! 

And  hold  it  manly,  life  itself  to  give, 

Rather  than  lose  the  things  for  which  we  live. 


HEN  the  bright,  sunny  days  and  cool, 


bracing  nights  of  autumn  came,  the  epi- 
demic began  to  subside  throughout  the  city  and 
the  citizens  resumed  their  everyday  occupations. 
There  were  many  gaps  among  them,  however, 
and  scores  of  new  graves  to  be  wailed  over  out  on 
the  hillside. 

The  tide  of  prejudice  which  had  set  so  strongly 
against  the  foreigners  had  now  turned  and  ran 
the  other  way,  and  the  hospital  received  many 
presents  of  long  lacquered  boards,  covered  with 
highly  complimentary  characters,  to  hang  in  its 


— Eighth  Satire  of  Juvenal, 
Translated  by  Henry  van  Dyke. 


196 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


197 


reception  room.  The  Sunday  services  in  the 
street  chapels  were  crowded  and  the  wards  and 
clinics  were  also  full  of  patients  suffering  from 
the  most  unusual  complaints. 

“Their  suspicions  have  been  overcome  at  last!” 
exclaimed  Little  Small-Feet  joyfully.  “In  the 
street  I am  always  treated  with  respect.  They 
have  found  out,  as  you  did,  that  foreign  ways  are 
kind.  Have  they  not,  Wang  Dah  Mah?” 

“Yes,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje,  I have  learned  many 
things  and  I am  ashamed  to  think  how  small  my 
heart  was  when  I first  found  myself  within  these 
walls.  But  all  is  not  so  pleasant  as  you  think; 
no  good  ever  comes  to  foreigners  in  a city  where 
Lord  Chang  resides.  I wish  the  young  Lord 
Chang  would  be  discreet;  if  it  comes  to  his 
father’s  ears  how  he  haunts  the  foreign  doctor, 
you  may  all  be  turned  out  from  the  city.  Be- 
ware a serpent  or  a tiger”  warned  Wang  Dah 
Mah. 

“He  should  be  more  careful,”  the  girl  replied, 
“but  the  doctor  teaches  him  many  things  he  longs 
to  know,  and  he  is  so  much  safer  here  than  among 
the  temptations  in  his  father’s  palace;  it  seems 
impossible  to  ask  him  to  stay  away.” 

“If  he  loses  his  life  and  yours,  too,  it  may  be  a 


198  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


mistaken  kindness  to  allow  him  to  come,”  Wang 
Dah  Mah  insisted. 

“How  about  yourself,  Wang  Dah  Mah?  Is 
Lord  Chang  overjoyed  to  have  you  here?”  in- 
quired Hsie  Yin. 

“I  have  been  forbidden  ever  to  cross  the 
threshold  of  his  house  again;  I am  sorry,  for  I 
want  to  tell  my  mistress  about  the  gracious  mes- 
sage of  peace  for  the  weary,  and  she  needs  it,  for 
these  are  stormy  days  in  the  house  of  Chang,” 
and  with  a deep  sigh  Wang  Dah  Mah  returned 
to  her  book. 

At  about  the  same  hour  when  Hsie  Yin  was 
talking  so  hopefully,  a group  of  the  city  women 
were  down  at  the  river’s  bank  doing  their  family 
washing.  Their  stooping  posture  did  not  seem  to 
make  it  necessary  for  them  to  hold  their  tongues, 
and  they  discussed  with  relish  every  morsel  of 
gossip  they  had  heard  that  day.  They  were  so 
engrossed  with  their  conversation  that  they  did 
not  hear  a water  coolie  stop  beside  them  until  he 
began  to  fill  his  buckets. 

“Do  you  draw  water  from  the  river,  when  that 
from  the  city  wells  is  so  much  cooler?”  asked  a 
woman  greatly  surprised. 

“I  dare  not  use  those  springs  for  the  ‘foreign 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


199 


devils’  have  poisoned  them  and  caused  the  sick- 
ness,” he  replied. 

“Poisoned  our  wells!”  the  women  exclaimed  in 
chorus.  “What  tale  is  this  you  bring?” 

“No  tale  at  all  but  the  very  truth;  I heard  it 
from  the  mouth  of  the  man  whose  neighbor’s 
first  cousin  saw  them  do  it.” 

Here  was  news,  indeed,  of  a variety  that 
would  make  a fine  stir!  Life  was  growing  mo- 
notonous ; now  there  would  be  something  to  dis- 
cuss in  the  courtyards  of  an  afternoon.  Poor  old 
Li  Sao  Tze,  the  blind  woman  who  had  been  cured 
by  Hsie  Yin,  was  the  only  one  to  doubt  it. 

“There  must  be  some  mistake,”  she  cried ; “the 
foreigners  are  benevolent ; they  would  not  do  such 
a dreadful  thing ! I ought  to  know  for  they  gave 
me  back  my  sight.  They  were  away  when  the 
sickness  came;  how  could  they  have  brought  it? 
They  tried  to  cure  those  who  were  ill.  It  would 
be  a foolish  thing  to  take  the  trouble  to  poison 
people  and  then  make  them  well ! Dui  Sao  Tze, 
they  raised  your  son  from  the  dead,  how  can  you 
believe  these  idle  stories?” 

“Who  can  explain  the  ways  of  ‘foreign  dev- 
ils’!” the  man  retorted.  “Our  priests  all  say  that 
we  meddle  with  them  at  our  own  risks.  In  the 


200  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


dead  of  night  the  foreign  doctor  was  seen  to 
throw  a fine  gray  powder  into  the  well,  at  which 
a smoke,  smelling  strongly  of  brimstone,  arose 
and  hid  the  spot.  The  people  ran  to  the  place 
but  all  that  they  could  see  was  the  well,  looking 
much  as  usual,  but  from  the  rear  of  some  houses 
came  a dreadful  laugh  and  the  earth  shook  at  the 
sound.  The  next  day  the  illness  broke  out  and 
of  course  nothing  could  stop  it  until  the  demons 
had  chosen  whom  they  would  to  accompany  them 
into  the  shades.  The  officials  did  what  they  could 
and  had  the  south  gate  shut  for  a month,  when  it 
was  most  inconvenient,  to  keep  the  heat  out  as  it 
came  up  from  the  south  and  to  prevent  it  from 
entering  the  city,  but  closing  city  gates  has  no 
effect  after  the  demons  have  gotten  in.” 

“We  remember  that  the  city  gates  were  shut, 
and  it  was  as  he  says,  the  heat  grew  hotter  and 
hotter  and  greater  and  greater  until  our  very 
flesh  dried  up,  and  the  sickness  increased  with 
the  heat.  It  is  more  than  plain,  the  officials  did 
their  duty,  but  what  chance  had  they  against  the 
wily  barbarians?”  continued  Li  Sao  Tze’s  neigh- 
bor, who  had  been  rather  jealous  of  the  blind 
woman’s  famous  cure. 

Having  told  his  story,  the  man  took  up  his 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


201 


water  buckets  and  returned  to  the  city,  stopping 
here  and  there  to  recount  his  gossip.  The  rumor 
spread  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  as  it  spread 
the  story  grew  and  the  feeling  against  the  for- 
eigners grew  with  it.  The  patients  who  had  been 
at  the  hospital  did  their  best  to  stop  slanderous 
tongues,  hut  they  were  a mere  handful  compared 
to  the  ignorant  multitude. 

The  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  had  the  reputa- 
tion of  being  the  most  conservative  town  in  the 
whole  of  the  Empire.  A dragon  was  reported  to 
lie  buried  in  a high  mound  outside  the  great  walls. 
Several  hundred  years  ago  a series  of  earthquake 
shocks  had  made  it  apparent  that  although  the 
monster  was  properly  interred  he  was  not  really 
dead,  and  that  he  had  grown  restless  where  he 
lay.  The  blue  pagoda  was  therefore  built  on  the 
top  of  the  grave  to  keep  the  creature  as  quiet  as 
possible.  This  clever  scheme  had  been  highly 
successful,  as  the  oldest  living  inhabitant  could 
tell,  and  the  dragon  moved  now  only  at  rare  in- 
tervals when  some  occurrence  in  the  city  did  not 
please  him.  Unfortunately,  at  this  moment  he 
chose  to  give  a shake,  and  his  activity  was  the 
final  event  which  threw  the  suspicious  people  into 
a panic.  It  was  not  a vicious  jar;  it  might  have 


202  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


been  termed  a gentle  hint ; but  the  rough  element 
in  the  city  were  in  a mood  to  heed  a very  gentle 
hint. 

The  ladies  themselves  were  too  busy  to  pay 
attention  to  the  vague  rumors  Wang  Dah  Mali 
brought  to  them.  There  is  always  gossip  and 
prejudice  in  a Chinese  community,  and  if  for- 
eigners stopped  work  every  time  they  heard  an 
uncomplimentary  report,  there  would  be  little 
accomplished.  They  did  observe,  however,  that 
there  was  a great  falling  off  in  the  attendance  at 
the  hospital  and  the  street  services  were  nearly 
deserted,  but  they  were  philosophical  about  it,  for 
they  realized  that  popularity  is  a fickle  dame. 

The  night  of  the  earthquake  they  hardly  felt 
the  tremor,  for  there  were  several  very  ill  patients 
in  the  ward  and  a serious  operation  was  proceed- 
ing. Wang  Dah  Mah  noticed  the  tremble  with 
much  misgiving  and  spent  a restless,  unhappy 
night. 

When  one  lies  awake  in  the  darkness,  fears 
seem  very  wise,  indeed,  but  when  a clear  autumn 
sun  shines  on  us,  the  apprehensions  seem  needless 
and  silly.  Wang  Dah  Mah  arose  the  next  day 
with  the  firm  intention  of  persuading  her  friends 
to  leave  the  vicinity  for  a time,  but  everything 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


203 


looked  so  bright  and  cheerful  and  Hsie  Yin 
greeted  her  with  such  careless  gayety  that  she 
chided  herself  for  having  these  forebodings. 

“It  would  he  sad  indeed  for  me  if  the  foreign- 
ers went  away,”  she  thought. 

As  the  hours  passed  on,  both  the  doctors  were 
called  out  to  visit  patients  on  the  other  side  of  the 
city.  Hsie  Yin  felt  that  hv  this  time  it  was  safe 
to  go  without  an  escort,  and  started  forth  in  her 
chair  with  her  usual  bearers.  She  perceived, 
however,  that  when  she  gave  her  orders  to  the 
coolies,  they  laughed  in  her  face  in  a disrespect- 
ful manner,  and  murmured  to  themselves  a word 
that  sounded  like  “friend  of  the  foreign  devil.” 
On  her  way  home  some  little  street  gamins  threw 
stones  at  her  and  when  she  told  the  bearers  to  go 
faster,  they  only  went  more  slowly.  Looking 
through  the  window  at  the  back  of  her  chair,  she 
saw  a small  crowd  collecting  and  their  looks  were 
black  indeed.  Among  the  number  was  Dui  Sao 
Tze  and  one  or  two  other  women  whom  she  recog- 
nized. The  young  doctor  insisted  that  the  men 
halt  and,  stepping  down  from  her  chair,  she 
turned  and  faced  the  rabble. 

“Dui  Sao  Tze,  what  are  you  doing  here?”  she 
exclaimed  in  a stern  voice.  “Is  this  the  manner 


204  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


of  gratitude  taught  by  the  sages?  Do  you  not 
know  that  your  son  would  be  a dead  man  to-day 
if  it  had  not  been  for  the  hospital?  Does  he 
know  where  you  are?” 

Dui  Sao  Tze  looked  ashamed:  “The  gods  are 
angry  at  you.  They  sent  the  earthquake  to  show 
their  displeasure  that  we  have  allowed  ‘foreign 
devils’  to  dwell  among  us.” 

“Have  you  no  understanding?  If  the  gods,  as 
you  believe,  take  note  of  what  is  going  on  around 
them,  they  are  probably  angry  at  the  ungrateful 
way  you  are  treating  the  people  who  tried  to  help 
you  when  you  were  ill!”  Hsie  Yin  replied.  “Did 
it  ever  strike  you  that  your  gods  disapproved  of 
the  way  you  listened  to  the  evil  counsels  of  Old 
Scarred  Face  and  Creeping  Sin?” 

This  struck  home  and  the  more  respectable  of 
the  people  turned  away  and  disappeared  in 
various  directions. 

“She  has  spoken  wisely,”  said  an  old  woman  in 
the  front;  “Old  Scarred  Face  never  did  a kind 
deed  in  her  life;  her  ways  are  always  evil.” 

Hsie  Yin  had  made  a happy  guess  when  she 
spoke  of  Old  Scarred  Face,  for  Wang  Dah  Mah, 
who  knew  little  of  Hsie  Yin’s  history,  had  failed 
to  mention  the  fact  of  the  beggar’s  return. 


The  crowd  having  dispersed,  Hsie  Yin  climbed 
into  her  chair  and  was  carried  by  her  subdued 
coolies  to  the  hospital.  She  found  on  her  arrival 
that  the  foreign  doctor  had  returned  after  a very 
similar  experience,  but  he  had  not  been  able  to 
throw  off  the  crowd  of  rowdies  and  they  had  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  very  gate  of  the  hospital. 
Pastor  Meng  had  come  and  he  and  Wang  Dah 
Mali  both  looked  very  anxious. 

“This  earthquake  is  most  unfortunate;  the 
people  are  always  restless  and  apprehensive  at 
such  times,  and  Old  Scarred  Face  is  at  work;  we 
may  always  look  for  trouble  when  she  is  near.  I 
think  that  it  would  be  wiser  for  all  of  you  to  slip 
quietly  out  of  the  city  after  nightfall  and  take 
refuge  in  the  mountains  until  the  trouble  passes 
over,”  said  Pastor  Meng. 

“What  he  says  is  wise  and  sensible,”  affirmed 
Wang  Dah  Mah.  “It  is  the  only  thing 
to  do.” 

“Could  we  not  send  to  the  yamen  for  a guard?” 
asked  the  Great  Helpful  Lady.  “If  there  is  a 
riot,  it  may  get  the  Tao  Tai  into  trouble  and  he 
will  lose  his  position.” 

“Unfortunately  he  is  in  the  power  of  Lord 
Chang,  but  perhaps  it  would  be  as  well.  It 


206  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


would  make  them  both  responsible  for  an  upris- 
ing,” said  Pastor  Meng. 

“I  do  not  see  how  we  can  leave,”  faltered  Hsie 
Yin.  “Think  of  the  two  women  we  operated  on 
last  night;  they  will  die  if  they  do  not  have 
proper  care.” 

“Tell  me  what  to  do,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje!” 
pleaded  Wang  Dah  Mah.  “No  one  is  looking 
for  me,  and  my  fingers  are  not  so  clumsy  but 
what  I can  keep  the  wounds  dressed.” 

Then  the  conference  closed  and  very  calmly, 
as  though  no  storm  was  brewing,  they  all  went 
about  their  particular  duties.  The  soldiers  were 
sent  for,  and  the  official  who  kept  the  city  gates 
was  paid  to  keep  the  nearest  gate  open  until  after 
midnight.  It  was  decided  that  late  in  the  evening 
they  would  slip  away  through  a gate  in  the  rear 
of  the  compound. 

“I  would  never  consider  doing  such  a thing,” 
said  the  foreign  doctor,  “if  I didn’t  feel  that  we 
should  imperil  the  lives  of  our  helpers  by  remain- 
ing. Pastor  Meng  would  never  think  of  his  own 
safety  and  would  stick  to  us  until  the  bitter  end. 
What  makes  the  matter  more  serious  is  the  fact 
that  I feel  certain  that  Creeping  Sin  and  Old 
Scarred  Face  are  at  the  bottom  of  the  trouble. 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


207 


We  know  from  past  experience  how  absolutely 
unscrupulous  they  are  and  to  what  methods  they 
resort.” 

The  dragon  under  the  blue  pagoda  seemed  to 
have  joined  in  the  popular  feeling  against  the 
foreigners,  for  late  in  the  afternoon  there  came  a 
rumble  and  then  a roar  and  the  city  was  shaken 
to  its  very  foundations.  Tiles  fell  from  roofs 
and  plaster  walls  crumbled  like  paper.  The 
wonder  was  that  many  people  were  not  killed; 
although  a number  were  cut  by  flying  debris,  one 
small  boy  was  the  only  victim.  Excitement  rose 
to  fever  heat  all  over  the  town,  and  neighbors  ran 
to  the  parents  of  the  dead  child  and  told  them 
that  all  their  children  would  suffer  the  same  fate 
if  the  foreigners  were  not  driven  out. 

“The  dragon,”  cried  the  coolie,  “is  very  angry 
at  our  delay;  we  have  been  too  kind-hearted  and 
we  must  suffer  for  it.” 

As  night  began  to  fall  the  temper  of  the  people 
grew  more  ugly,  and  a murmur  like  that  of  an 
angry  beehive  arose  from  many  streets.  At 
seven  Pastor  Meng  hastened  to  the  hospital. 

“There  is  no  use  in  waiting;  there  will  be  no 
quiet  in  the  city  to-night.  You  had  better  get 
away  at  once.  The  back  gate  is  watched,  but  our 


208  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


next  neighbors  have  been  friendly  ever  since  you 
cured  the  wife.  They  say  that  you  may  climb 
over  the  wall  into  their  garden  and  escape 
through  the  side  door  that  opens  on  a side  street. 
You  must  all  put  on  Chinese  garments  and  as 
you  love  your  life  do  not  speak !” 

“Pastor  Meng,  do  leave  us  at  once.  We  can 
take  care  of  ourselves,  and  you  must  remember 
your  wife  and  family.  We  have  persuaded 
Wang  Dah  Mah  to  visit  friends,  for  with  her 
bound  feet  she  could  not  stand  the  walking.  Do 
go  while  there  is  time!”  pleaded  the  Great  Help- 
ful Lady. 

“The  patients  have  all  been  taken  away  by 
their  relatives  and  that  is  a very  bad  sign.  My 
family  went  this  afternoon,  and  as  for  myself  I 
could  not  leave  the  best  friends  I have  in  the 
world  to  the  mercy  of  the  mob.  That  is  not  the 
way  I learned  the  doctrine.  Anyway  it  is  now 
too  late.  Listen!”  answered  Pastor  Meng. 

As  he  finished  speaking  there  was  a great 
pounding  on  the  front  gate  and  a sound  of  cat- 
calls and  curses.  The  crowd  had  stolen  forward 
quietly  on  their  cloth  shoes  in  order  to  make  a 
surprise  attack,  and  now  the  street  at  the  front 
of  the  compound  was  seething  with  people. 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


209 


“Quickly!  Quickly!  Quickly  go!  Take  the 
ladder  and  climb  the  wall  and  I will  hide  it!”  ex- 
claimed the  evangelist. 

At  that  moment  Lao  Pong,  the  faithful  serv- 
ant, appeared.  He  had  been  absent  all  day  and 
they  thought  that  he  had  run  away,  but  now  he 
adjusted  the  ladder  and  assisted  the  ladies  to 
climb  the  wall,  while  the  kindly  neighbor  helped 
them  on  the  other  side.  Then  Lao  Pong  let  the 
ladder  down  to  the  waiting  Meng  Sien  Sung  and 
followed  the  foreigners. 

“I  came  back  because  I thought  you  might 
need  me,”  he  explained.  “At  first  I thought  I 
would  seek  a safe  place  but  afterwards  I knew 
that  was  showing  a poor  disposition,  so  here 
lam.” 

Instead  of  accompanying  the  others,  Pastor 
Menor  deliberated  hid  the  ladder  and  then  turned 

O • 

toward  the  compound  gateway. 

“If  I can  keep  the  crowd  talking,  it  will  give 
them  a better  chance  to  escape,”  he  thought. 

At  that  moment  the  first  of  the  mob  burst 
through  the  gate  and  the  yelling,  hooting  rabble 
rushed  into  the  compound. 

“What  are  you  doing  here?”  Pastor  Meng 
boldly  said  to  the  ringleaders.  “Are  you  not 


210  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


afraid  to  molest  foreign  property?  Remember 
the  Boxer  movement  and  the  taxes  we  are  paying 
at  this  moment  on  account  of  it;  everything 
destroyed  may  have  to  be  returned.  Then  there 
will  be  no  rice  in  your  bowls.”  He  noticed  as  he 
spoke  that  the  soldiers  from  the  yamen  were 
mingled  with  the  others  and  he  knew  then  that 
the  matter  was  very  serious. 

The  crowd  seemed  a little  abashed  and  fell 
back  a moment  at  the  preacher’s  courageous 
words. 

“He  seems  to  speak  with  reason,”  said  a few 
of  the  better  class,  who,  carried  away  by  the  ex- 
citement caused  by  the  earthquake,  had  joined 
the  tumult. 

“Remember  the  dead  child ; we  shall  all  be  like 
him  if  we  let  the  foreigners  remain,”  shouted  a 
voice  in  the  rear  that  had  the  accents  of  Old 
Scarred  Face.  “Clear  the  foreigners  out;  death 
to  the  foreigners,  I say!” 

Other  voices  took  up  the  cry  and  rushed 
through  the  hospital.  If  Pastor  Meng  had  been 
one  whit  less  brave,  he  would  have  slipped  away 
in  the  confusion,  but  he  thought  only  of  saving 
the  compound  from  burning.  He  therefore  went 
with  the  others  and  watched  the  looting  of  the 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


211 


houses.  Every  inch  of  ground  was  searched  but 
no  trace  of  the  foreigners  could  be  found;  then, 
fairly  foaming  with  disappointment,  the  leaders 
turned  on  the  evangelist. 

“Where  are  the  foreigners  gone?  They  must 
have  flown  through  the  air  by  their  enchantments 
for  we  had  both  gates  watched!” 

“If  you  think  them  as  clever  as  that  I do  not 
see  why  you  ever  hoped  to  catch  them,”  retorted 
Pastor  Meng,  for  every  minute  he  could  keep  the 
mob  in  the  compound  might  mean  life  to  his 
friends.  “I  should  think  you  would  be  afraid  to 
meddle  with  people  who  could  go  and  come  un- 
seen. It  does  not  seem  very  safe.” 

“The  man  knows  where  they  are  and  he  is  try- 
ing to  keep  us  from  finding  them,”  yelled  the 
water  coolie.  “If  we  hang  him  to  the  doorpost, 
he  will  tell  quite  enough.” 

“Speak,  speak,  or  we  will  kill  you!”  screamed 
the  mob.  “Renounce  the  strange  doctrine  and 
give  the  foreigners  up,  or  you  are  a dead 
man!” 

Pastor  Meng  looked  this  way  and  that,  but  he 
was  surrounded  by  a sea  of  hostile  faces.  The 
better  element  in  the  crowd  had  disappeared  at 
the  threat  of  bloodshed  and  those  who  were  left, 


212  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


hardened  with  superstitious  fear,  were  thirsting 
for  vengeance.  There  was  no  help. 

An  exalted  look  swept  over  the  pastor’s  face; 
it  verily  seemed  to  shine.  His  lips  moved  as  if  in 
prayer  and  with  a ringing  voice  he  exclaimed : 

“I  will  not  tell  you  where  the  foreigners  are 
because  they  are  the  best  friends  I have  ever  had, 
and  the  best  friends  this  city  has!  Years  ago 
when  I was  dying  of  cholera,  they  took  me  into 
their  hospital  and  nursed  me  back  to  life.  Should 
I be  false  to  them  now?  That  is  not  the  idea  of 
gratitude  the  ancients  taught  us.  I am  not  afraid 
for” — and  his  voice  took  on  a note  of  triumph — 
“I  believe  in  God,  the  Father  Almighty,  and  in 
Jesus  Christ,  his  only  Son,  our  Lord!”  At  the 
first  words  the  rioters  listened  breathless,  aston- 
ished at  the  man’s  courage ; then  some  one  moved 
and  the  spell  was  broken.  A hand  threw  a stone 
that  caught  the  pastor  on  the  forehead  and  he 
fell  headlong.  A soldier  near,  as  if  to  com- 
plete the  mischief,  stabbed  him  with  a knife.  One 
of  the  crowd,  with  more  feeling  than  the  rest, 
saw  the  lips  of  the  dying  man  move  and  stooping 
over  caught  his  last  words : 

“Oh,  I see  Jesus,  I see  Jesus,”  he  whispered, 
and  then  the  brave  heart  stopped  beating.  Pastor 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


213 


Meng  had  freely  laid  down  his  life  rather  than 
betray  his  friends  and  lose  the  truth  for  which  he 
had  lived. 

The  crowd  surged  forward  again  and  with 
their  fierce  cries  awakened  the  echoes. 

“Slay  the  ‘foreign  devils’!  Slay  the  ‘foreign 
devils’!”  they  shrieked. 

At  that  moment  a man  came  running  up  the 
street  and  entering  the  compound  asked  for  the 
water  coolie. 

“The  foreigners  have  left  the  city  by  the  gate 
of  the  blue  pagoda;  they  are  probably  going  to 
the  Fearsome  Caverns,”  the  man  shouted.  “If 
they  reach  there  they  will  let  loose  all  the  demons 
that  haunt  the  caves,  and  the  shaking  of  the 
dragon  will  be  as  nothing  to  the  ill  that  will  then 
befall  the  city.” 

At  these  words  the  mob  turned  and  started  for 
the  great  gates  on  a mad  run.  A few  only  re- 
mained behind  to  complete  the  looting  of  the  hos- 
pital, and  afterwards  dispersed  to  their  homes. 

The  Fearsome  Caverns  were  names  to  conjure 
with  in  the  city,  for  they  went  far  into  the  moun- 
tain side  and  were  full  of  passages  and  under- 
ground rooms.  Mammoth  bats  hung  to  the  ceil- 
ing and  blind  fish  %vere  to  be  found  in  a stream 


214  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


that  gurgled  and  spluttered  through  one  section 
of  the  grotto.  A single  call  would  awake  the 
echoes  that  would  thunder  down  the  passages  for 
several  moments,  and  cries  and  groans  were  often 
heard  issuing  from  the  mouth  of  the  cave.  It  was 
no  wonder  that  rumor  reported  that  no  animal, 
not  even  a dog,  ever  entered  this  place  and  re- 
turned alive,  and  heaps  of  bones  at  the  entrance 
confirmed  this  superstition.  The  boldest  citizen 
would  hesitate  to  enter  these  black  depths  alone 
in  the  daytime  and  the  man  who  would  attempt 
to  do  so  at  night  would  be  considered  insane. 
For  reasons  of  their  own  the  ruffians  of  the 
neighborhood  had  done  their  best  to  spread  such 
stories  and  the  place  was  the  resort  of  all  the  wild 
characters  throughout  the  Province.  All  these 
things  made  it  seem  wiser  to  catch  the  fugitives 
before  they  gained  their  shelter. 

When  the  rioters  reached  the  city  gate  the 
country  without  looked  so  forbidding  that  many 
were  for  turning  back  and  waiting  for  the  morn- 
ing to  continue  their  search,  but  others  snatched 
up  torches  and  lanterns  and  still  crying  venge- 
ance upon  the  barbarians  dashed  forward  into 
the  murky  night.  Then  at  length  Old  Scarred 
Face  threw  all  caution  to  the  winds,  for  up  to  this 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


215 


moment  she  had  kept  herself  rather  in  the  back- 
ground, and  from  this  time  forward  led  the 
pursuit. 

In  the  meantime  the  refugees  had,  as  reported, 
headed  for  the  caverns.  Lao  Pong  was  invalu- 
able, and  from  the  moment  that  they  had  climbed 
the  wall  he  had  taken  command.  He  showed 
great  skill  in  leading  them  down  unfrequented 
lanes  and  out-of-the-way  alleys,  telling  them 
when  to  move  and  when  to  remain  motionless 
under  the  shadow  of  a building  or  overhanging 
balcony.  He  finally  brought  them  into  a court- 
yard a short  distance  within  the  city  gates  and 
here  they  found  chairs  waiting  for  them  provided 
by  the  young  Lord  Chang,  for  Lao  Pong  had 
seen  him  early  in  the  evening  and,  knowing  that 
he  could  be  trusted,  had  told  him  of  the  expected 
flight  and  had  arranged  with  the  young  man  to 
have  the  chairs  in  readiness. 

Lord  Chang’s  son  was  no  cowTard  and  at  the 
risk  of  his  life  he  met  the  foreigners  at  the  court- 
yard and  begged  to  be  allowed  to  accompany 
them  on  their  flight,  feeling  sure  that  his  great 
name  would  give  them  much  protection.  His 
brave  offer  was  refused  and  he  had  to  content 
himself  with  giving  them  a card  to  use  at  the  gate 


216  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


which  would  keep  them  from  dangerous  delay. 
Fortunately,  this  card  worked  like  magic  and  the 
soldiers  allowed  them  to  pass  without  a question. 
The  fugitives  kept  the  curtains  of  their  chairs 
carefully  closed,  however,  and  Lao  Pong  repre- 
sented them  as  friends  of  the  young  nobleman 
who  were  fleeing  from  the  earthquake. 

When  the  blue  pagoda  was  reached  it  was  de- 
termined to  send  back  the  chairs,  as  there  was 
grave  question  as  to  the  loyalty  of  the  bearers, 
and  it  was  thought  wiser  to  proceed  alone.  Thus 
Lao  Pong  again  showed  his  sagacity,  for  it  was 
one  of  these  very  men  who  reported  to  the  water 
coolie  their  presence  at  the  blue  pagoda. 

Fortunately,  the  foreigners  had  a long  start 
of  the  rioters,  and  they  had  gone  far  into  the 
depths  of  the  caverns  before  their  pursuers 
reached  the  entrance.  Here  at  length  the  crowd 
paused  in  their  headlong  progress.  The  most 
part  were  for  giving  it  up  and  returning  to  the 
city;  others  wished  to  place  a guard  and  thus 
starve  their  victims  out.  Old  Scarred  Face,  true 
to  her  character,  scorned  such  weak  counsels. 

“You  cows,”  she  shouted,  “you  are  just  old 
women;  of  course  you  are  afraid,  but  I have  a 
charm  here” — and  she  held  a charm  high  above 


“THE  TERROR  BY  NIGHT” 


217 


her  head — “that  will  save  all  who  enter  with  the 
righteous  intention  of  ridding  this  Province  for- 
ever from  the  taint  of  the  foreigner. 

“Who  are  the  immortals  who  will  go  with  me?” 
she  cried,  as  the  crowd  still  faltered. 

“She  is  the  witch  of  the  cavern;  we  will  be  safe 
enough  with  her,”  called  the  water  coolie  who  had 
been  well  paid  to  impart  this  knowledge. 

A few  of  the  wavering  turned  back,  but  the 
rest  with  hoots  and  howls  ran  on  into  the  dark 


cave. 


CHAPTER  XII 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 

Down  a corridor  dark  as  death. 

With  beating  hearts  and  bated  breath 
We  hurried;  far  away  we  heard 
A dreadful  hissing,  fierce  as  fire 
When  rain  begins  to  quench  a pyre ; 

And  where  the  smoky  torch-light  flared 
Strange  vermin  beat  their  bat-like  wings. 

And  the  wet  wall  dropped  with  slimy  things. 

— Alfred  Noyes. 


MANY  poets  have  written  and  many  min- 
strels have  sung  praises  to  the  beauties  of 
the  night — night  with  its  thousand  stars  and 
myriad  eyes,  night  with  its  silvery  moonlight  and 
soft  breezes  that  caress  the  cheek.  But  if  one 
wishes  to  realize  the  terrors  that  the  midnight 
hours  can  hold,  one  must  turn  to  the  songs  of  the 
old  Hebrew  bards.  They  portray  impartially 
both  the  glories  and  the  horrors  of  darkness,  and 
this  goes  far  to  explain  their  hold  on  the  imagina- 
tion of  every  race,  for  they  speak  the  language  of 
a common  experience. 

When  the  little  party  of  refugees  plunged 


218 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


219 


down  the  dark  galleries  of  the  Fearsome  Caverns, 
pursued  by  pitiless  and  relentless  foes,  they  felt 
to  the  very  marrow  of  their  bones  what  “the  ter- 
ror by  night”  might  mean.  As  they  entered  the 
mouth  of  the  cave  they  could  hear  from  far  away 
the  voices  of  their  pursuers  and  see  the  glimmer 
of  their  lanterns.  The  foreign  doctor  had  a tiny 
electric  flash  light,  and  by  its  rays  they  found  the 
way.  Lao  Pong  had  heard  there  wras  a subter- 
ranean river  running  through  the  den  and  he  felt 
that  near  it  they  might  find  a hiding  place.  They 
stumbled  along  over  stones  and  around  huge 
rocks,  never  daring  to  speak  or  whisper,  although 
the  road  seemed  endless  and  sometimes  they 
feared  that  they  were  but  going  around  in  a 
circle,  for  in  the  dim  shadows  they  seemed  to 
recognize  objects  which  they  had  passed  before. 
The  ladies  were  almost  exhausted  and  frequently 
had  to  pause  for  rest.  At  length  the  party 
reached  a long  corridor-like  alley  where  they 
could  stand  erect;  up  to  this  time  they  had  been 
forced  to  run  in  a stooping  position.  Ahead  of 
them  they  thought  that  they  recognized  the 
murmur  of  a stream,  when  suddenly  they  heard 
a shout  of  triumph  and,  turning,  saw  behind 
them  the  lanterns  of  their  pursuers.  The  cries 


220  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


that  went  up  from  the  mob  froze  their  blood  and 
made  their  hearts  almost  stand  still,  but  terror 
gave  new  strength  to  their  dragging  feet  and 
they  darted  forward.  When  the  friends  reached 
the  river,  they  found  that  a narrow  footpath  ran 
beside  it  and  they  instinctively  followed  it. 

“We  must  go  across  to  that  opening  on  the 
other  side;  there  is  a hole  or  well  not  far  from 
there  where  we  may  be  able  to  hide  until  they  are 
weary  and  give  up  the  search,”  whispered  Lao 
Pong. 

“Is  it  very  deep?”  asked  the  ladies. 

“I  do  not  know,”  replied  Lao  Pong,  “but  it  is 
better  to  drown  than  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  Old 
Scarred  Face.” 

Holding  tightly  to  one  another’s  hands,  the 
fugitives  went  into  the  torrent.  Each  step 
brought  them  into  deeper  water  and  the  current 
ran  very  swiftly,  but  they  did  not  falter  although 
they  often  tripped  over  loose  stones.  The  water 
rose  to  their  knees  and  then  to  their  waists  and  to 
their  shoulders;  the  next  step  promised  to  bring 
them  beyond  their  depth ; but,  no,  the  stream  was 
growing  lower,  and  they  at  length  could  stand 
dripping  and  shivering  on  the  other  bank.  They 
dared  not  pause,  however,  and  turning  they 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


221 


crawled  on  hands  and  knees  through  a narrow 
passage  that  admitted  only  one  person  at  a time. 
The  foreign  doctor  went  first,  then  the  ladies  fol- 
lowed, and  Lao  Pong  brought  up  the  rear. 

The  passage  terminated  suddenly  in  a drop  of 
about  twelve  feet.  When  the  doctor  first  used  his 
light  in  it,  he  thought  that  the  pit  was  unfathom- 
able; it  looked  as  if  they  would  be  forced  to  re- 
turn and  face  their  enemies  or  die  miserably  like 
rats  in  a hole.  On  closer  examination,  however, 
he  thought  that  he  could  see  the  bottom,  but  it 
was  full  of  water.  Would  it  be  beyond  his 
depth?  About  halfway  down  the  wall  of  the 
cavern  he  saw  a slight  projection  that  might  give 
him  foothold.  Only  a desperate  person  would 
have  attempted  the  descent,  but  he  decided  to 
try.  He  removed  his  coat  and  handing  it  to  his 
wife  told  her  to  grasp  it  firmly  and  he  would  hold 
on  to  the  other  end  to  steady  himself,  then  very 
carefully  he  let  himself  down  to  the  tiny  shelf; 
this  he  reached  in  safety,  and  could  see  the  water 
only  a few  feet  below  him.  There  was  nothing  to 
do  but  jump,  trusting  that  the  pool  was  not  too 
deep.  His  lips  moved  in  silent  prayer;  then  he 
leaped  into  the  darkness.  To  his  relief  he  found 
the  water  only  up  to  his  knees,  so  he  whispered 


222  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


of  his  safety  to  his  anxious  wife.  He  then  gave 
her  minute  instructions  how  to  follow  him,  stand- 
ing ready  to  catch  her  should  she  slip.  Thus  one 
after  another  they  scrambled  down  into  their 
moist  retreat. 

Lao  Pong  very  cautiously  explored  their  hid- 
ing place  but  could  find  no  other  outlet  into  the 
cavern;  they  therefore  decided  to  hide  themselves 
behind  the  huge  bowlders  at  the  farther  end, 
trusting  that  their  pursuers  would  give  up  the 
hunt  rather  than  attempt  the  perilous  descent 
into  the  hole. 

Meanwhile  there  was  division  in  the  camp  of 
their  enemies.  They  had  turned  the  corner  of 
the  passageway  just  too  late  to  see  their  vic- 
tims ford  the  river  and  plunge  into  the  gallery 
on  the  other  bank.  When  the  crowd  had  reached 
the  place  where  the  party  had  crossed  the  stream, 
the  leaders  were  uncertain  which  road  to  take. 
Some  wished  to  dash  right  in,  but  others  felt  that 
it  was  wiser  to  keep  themselves  and  their  clothes 
dry  by  remaining  on  the  path  on  which  they  were. 

“Only  fools  would  leap  into  a river  when  there 
was  another  path  to  follow,”  said  the  water  coolie. 
“It  is  too  cold  a night  and  too  far  from  the  city 
to  wet  oneself  to  the  skin.” 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


223 


“You  are  the  foolish  one  to  think  in  such  a 
manner,”  replied  Old  Scarred  Face.  “The  ‘for- 
eign devils’  knew  how  afraid  you  cowards  are  of 
a little  dampness  and  that  is  the  very  reason  they 
would  cross  the  stream.” 

“You  can  swim  over  if  you  like,  Old  Tiger,” 
answered  the  man.  “I  for  one  shall  take  the 
other  road,”  and  off  he  started  followed  by  the 
others. 

Old  Scarred  Face  ground  her  teeth  at  the 
thought  of  losing  such  precious  time,  but  she  did 
not  dare  to  go  over  alone;  so  she  was  forced  to 
give  in.  The  rioters  spent  a full  hour  in  search- 
ing corridors  and  alleys,  but  not  a trace  of  the 
fugitives  could  they  find. 

“They  are  demons,  indeed,  and  have  gone  to 
their  own  place,”  said  the  coolie.  “How  could  we 
mere  human  beings  hope  to  find  them?  I think 
that  it  is  prudent  to  return  to  the  city;  we  have 
banished  them  and  they  will  never  be  bold  enough 
to  return.  We  have  probably  lost  all  the  loot  by 
coming  away  as  we  did,  and  who  will  say  that  we 
have  been  wise?” 

At  these  words  the  mob  started  on  a wild  run 
to  the  entrance,  but  Old  Scarred  Face  came  close 
beside  the  coolie. 


224  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“Not  one  cash  will  Creeping  Sin  give  you  un- 
less you  bring  the  hair  of  the  foreigners  to  show 
that  they  are  dead,”  the  woman  threatened. 

This  caused  the  coolie  to  halt;  to  lose  the  loot 
and  the  bribe  as  well  would  be  to  lose  every- 
thing. 

“Old  Scarred  Face  says  that  she  saw  the  bar- 
barians cross  the  river,”  he  shouted.  “Let  us  go 
back  and  hunt  for  them  on  the  other  side;  we 
should  lose  face  if  we  returned  to  the  city  writh 
our  task  unfinished.  All  who  slay  foreigners 
acquire  merit  that  covers  millions  of  sins.” 

At  these  words  the  crowd  retraced  their  steps 
and  were  soon  on  the  banks  of  the  stream.  With 
much  cursing  and  reviling,  they  plunged  into  the 
river  and  struggled  to  the  other  side.  Again  a 
controversy  ensued  whether  to  crawl  into  the  nar- 
row passageway  or  take  a path  that  followed  the 
torrent.  Old  Scarred  Face  finally  prevailed  and 
led  them  down  the  gallery.  The  crowd  had  been 
careless  of  their  lanterns  and  torches  in  the  cross- 
ing and  these  had  gotten  wet  and  gone  out;  in 
consequence  they  only  had  one  feeble  lantern 
which  Old  Scarred  Face  carried.  When  she 
came  to  the  deep  hole,  she  held  the  light  well  over 
the  brink  and  the  flickering  rays  lighted  up  her 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


225 


withered,  scowling  features,  so  that  the  fugitives 
cowering  in  a distant  corner  could  see  it  vividly. 
Even  the  old  woman’s  bravado  shrank  at  the 
depth  of  that  pit  and  the  water  at  its  bottom. 

“It  is  a bad  place,”  she  called  back  to  the 
others,  “without  a ladder  or  ropes  it  would  not 
be  safe  to  attempt  it.  If  the  foreign  devils  are 
there,  they  can  never  escape  for  they  cannot  climb 
up  that  sheer  wall.  We  have  them  in  a trap  at 
last.” 

Since  their  leader  was  in  this  mood,  the  others 
were  not  loath  to  retire;  they  were  cold  and  the 
first  excitement  of  the  chase  was  over,  so  they 
hurried  as  fast  as  they  could  to  the  mouth  of  the 
cavern. 

Old  Scarred  Face  was  about  to  leave  the  cave 
when  a restraining  hand  was  put  on  her  arm  and 
she  was  dragged  back  into  the  shadow.  Turning, 
she  looked  up  into  the  face  of  her  fellow  conspir- 
ator, Creeping  Sin. 

“How  goes  it:  are  the  barbarians  dead?”  he 
inquired  eagerly. 

“No!  May  eagles  eat  their  hearts  out!  They 
escaped  but  I think  I know  where  they  lie  hidden, 
and  I will  take  you  there  so  that  we  can  plan  how 
best  to  get  them,”  she  answered. 


226  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“Bungler,  as  usual!”  he  taunted.  “Your  well- 
laid  plots  are  clumsy;  I wonder  I use  such  a 
blunt  tool.” 

“Bungler!  Indeed!”  the  woman  exclaimed. 
“How  about  the  voyage  on  the  Pacific,  and  the 
trap  you  laid  in  that  distant  city  where  the  girl 
was  educated?  What  are  you,  to  speak  of 
bunglers?” 

Creeping  Sin  saw  that  the  woman  was  wet  and 
tired  and  in  no  mood  to  be  baited,  so  he  let  the 
matter  drop,  but  he  eyed  her  malignantly  as  she 
strode  ahead  of  him. 

“She  is  growing  old;  all  her  schemes  fall 
through;  she  knows  more  than  is  convenient  of 
my  past;  I must  shortly  get  rid  of  her,”  he 
thought  to  himself. 

The  two  conspirators  crossed  the  stream,  and 
crept  down  the  narrow  gallery;  at  the  end  Old 
Scarred  Face  stopped  and  pointed  out  to  Creep- 
ing Sin,  who  peered  eagerly  over  her  shoulder, 
the  sheer  rocky  wall  and  the  water  below.  A 
sudden  impulse  seized  the  man:  What  better 
place  could  he  find  to  do  away  with  his  enemy! 
No  one  would  connect  his  name  with  this  spot! 
At  that  moment  Old  Scarred  Face  leaned  far  out 
over  the  edge,  for  she  thought  that  she  saw  some- 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


227 


thing  moving  at  the  farther  end  of  the  hole. 
Creeping  Sin  drew  back  a little  to  give  force  to 
his  blow  and  then  with  all  his  strength  pushed 
her  over  the  brink. 

With  a wild  shriek  the  woman  fell  to  the  bot- 
tom; the  water  splashed  high;  then  all  was  still. 
Old  Scarred  Face  had  carried  the  lantern  so 
Creeping  Sin  had  no  light  and  was  obliged  to  feel 
his  way  back  to  the  river. 

“One  witness  less  to  my  past  career,”  he 
thought.  “If  the  foreigners  are  in  that  place, 
they  will  starve  to  death;  they  cannot  possibly 
climb  that  wall;  so  we  need  not  trouble  more 
about  them.  I wish  all  my  enemies  were  likely 
to  give  me  as  little  trouble.” 

Hardly  waiting  to  be  sure  that  Creeping  Sin 
had  permanently  disappeared,  the  foreign  doctor 
moved  cautiously  forward  to  rescue  Old  Scarred 
Face  from  what  promised  to  be  a watery  grave. 
He  must  take  no  risks,  however,  for  she  might 
return  to  consciousness  and  raise  an  outcry.  By 
means  of  his  electric  flash  light,  he  soon  located 
her.  She  had  fallen  in  a shallow  place  with  her 
head  against  a rock  that  just  raised  her  mouth 
above  the  water.  If  she  had  struck  a foot  either 
way,  she  would  certainly  have  been  drowned. 


228  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Carefully  he  lifted  the  woman  and  carried  her 
to  a flat  rock  near  the  center  of  the  hole  and  then 
began  his  examination.  His  wife  watched  Hsie 
Yin  with  interest,  for  the  test  had  come  at  last  of 
which  they  had  spoken  so  long  ago.  Would  the 
younger  woman  offer  to  help,  or  would  she  allow 
the  foreign  doctor  to  do  the  work  alone? 

Without  a moment’s  hesitation,  Little  Small- 
Feet  stepped  forward  and  went  to  the  doctor’s 
side. 

“Let  me  assist  you,”  she  said  simply. 

The  woman  still  remained  unconscious  but  in 
a few  minutes  they  were  able  to  determine  par- 
tially the  extent  of  the  damage.  Her  head  was 
terribly  bruised  and  her  arm  broken  and  a rib 
factored;  they  suspected  also  that  some  injury 
had  been  done  to  the  spine,  but  at  present  it  was 
impossible  to  tell  how  much.  The  ladies  tore 
their  skirts  into  strips  to  make  bandages  for  the 
patient  and  they  bound  her  up  as  well  as  they 
could  with  the  few  means  at  hand.  The  next 
problem  was  how  to  leave  the  cave,  for  a day  and 
a night  spent  in  the  cold  watery  cavern  would 
mean  death  to  them  all.  It  seemed  absolutely 
impossible  to  scale  the  wall,  and  if  they  could 
manage  it  themselves  they  certainly  could  not 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


229 


raise  the  unconscious  woman  to  the  passage 
above. 

While  the  friends  were  consulting  what  to  do, 
Lao  Pong  had  borrowed  the  light  from  the  doctor 
and  began  to  go  carefully  around  their  prison  to 
see  what  he  could  find.  Suddenly  he  gave  a low 
exclamation  of  pleasure  and  began  to  remove 
some  large  stones  heaped  up  in  one  corner. 

“What  have  you  found?”  whispered  the  doctor. 

“I  am  not  sure,  but  it  seems  like  another  cor- 
ridor which  leads  directly  out  into  the  open  air,” 
answered  Lao  Pong. 

This  news  seemed  too  good  to  be  true,  and  with 
feverish  haste  they  began  to  help  him.  The  floor 
of  the  cave  sloped  up  to  this  spot,  and  although 
it  was  damp  and  slippery  the  water  did  not  stand 
here.  They  found  that  the  stones  which  blocked 
the  entrance  had  been  piled  up  from  the  outside. 
Two  huge  bowlders  which  stood  a foot  or  so  away 
on  the  inside  of  their  prison  had  kept  them  from 
noticing  the  character  of  this  pile  of  stones. 

Before  many  minutes  the  passageway  was 
quite  free  and  Lao  Pong  stole  stealthily  to  the 
farther  end  to  find  out  how  the  land  lay.  The 
first  faint  flickering  of  light  showed  that  the 
dawn  was  not  far  distant;  if  they  wished  to  hide 


230  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


elsewhere,  they  must  hurry.  The  faithful  serv- 
ant cautiously  moved  the  bushes  that  grew  thick 
around  the  entrance  and  seeing  no  lights  or  signs 
of  human  habitation  he  felt  his  way  carefully 
along  a narrow  pathway.  It  was  evident  that  he 
had  come  out  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain 
from  the  city,  for  here  was  no  view  of  the  blue 
pagoda  or  the  river  but  only  a long,  deep  valley, 
hedged  in  with  mountain  peaks.  Suddenly  it 
occurred  to  him  that  he  had  blundered  on  the 
place  called  the  Spirit  V alley,  and  somewhere  in 
the  distance  he  saw  the  dim  outline  of  a building 
which  he  felt  must  be  a ruined  temple.  All  sorts 
of  wild  rumors  were  circulated  about  this  place. 
Long  ago  a priest  had  been  murdered  here  and 
since  then  no  Chinese,  rich  or  poor,  good  or  bad, 
no  matter  how  desperate,  had  dared  enter  the 
precincts.  Lao  Pong  himself  shook  with  fear; 
nevertheless,  he  hurried  to  the  very  walls  of  the 
building  and  found  as  he  had  conjectured  that  it 
was  the  temple  which  he  sought.  No  sound  was 
to  be  heard  but  the  dismal  hoot  of  an  owl  from 
an  old  tree,  and  when  its  notes  struck  on  Lao 
Pong’s  ears,  he  took  to  his  heels  and  ran  at  the 
top  of  his  speed  to  the  cavern. 

The  little  party  were  delighted  with  his  report 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


231 


for  he  could  not  have  found  a safer  spot  for  a 
hiding  place.  Without  more  ado  they  started 
for  the  temple,  Lao  Pong  and  the  foreign  doctor 
carrying  Old  Scarred  Face,  who  though  very  tall 
was  nothing  but  skin  and  bones,  and  no  weight  to 
strong  men.  It  never  seemed  to  occur  to  them 
that  they  might  leave  her  to  her  fate  as  Creeping 
Sin  had  done. 

The  shelter  of  the  temple  was  a great  pro- 
tection from  the  cold  winds  that  blew  just  before 
the  dawn.  They  found  a room  in  the  rear  of  the 
big  idol  where  the  priests  had  lived.  Lao  Pong 
gathered  some  dry  branches  and  made  a small 
fire  at  which  they  dried  themselves,  but  as  soon  as 
the  sun  showed  behind  a distant  peak  they  were 
forced  to  put  out  the  blaze  for  fear  it  would 
betray  them. 

At  night  the  Spirit  Valley  was  always  de- 
serted, because  no  peasant  or  traveling  merchant 
would  risk  its  enchantments  in  the  darkness,  but 
in  the  daytime  the  thrifty  farmers  could  not  bear 
to  let  so  much  good  land  lie  idle,  so  the  hillside 
was  covered  with  little  plots  of  cultivated  ground. 
A road  ran  through  one  end  of  the  glen  and  over 
a high  pass  to  the  neighboring  market  town.  In 
broad  daylight  this  road  was  much  frequented 


232  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


by  merchants,  but  these  worthy  men  of  business 
were  very  careful  not  to  be  caught  there  as  eve- 
ning fell. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  the  following  day  the 
friends  had  to  content  themselves  with  staying 
strictly  within  the  shelter  of  the  temple  walls. 
Without  food  or  drink  their  lot  was  pitiable  in- 
deed, and  the  groans  of  the  wounded  woman  in 
the  corner  and  her  moaning  for  water  added 
much  to  their  distress.  At  times  they  feared  lest 
some  passing  peasant  might  hear  her  shrieks  but 
the  reputation  of  their  retreat  kept  them  safe 
from  prying  eyes  and  the  screams  only  added  to 
the  evil  character  of  the  place. 

Above  the  room  in  which  they  crouched  was  a 
loft  full  of  broken  idols,  old  sacks,  and  straw 
matting.  The  foreign  doctor  brought  down  the 
latter  to  make  rough  beds  for  the  ladies  and  the 
sick  woman,  and  throughout  the  long  hours  they 
rested  from  the  fatigue  of  the  preceding  evening. 
The  doctor  felt  that  if  they  should  be  spied  upon 
by  any  marauders  they  could  retire  to  the  loft 
and  set  up  such  heart-rending  shrieks  and  groans 
that  no  one  would  suspect  that  the  dignified  for- 
eigners had  taken  refuge  there. 

The  sun  sparkled  brightly,  and  the  valley  lay 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


233 


basking  in  its  peaceful  rays;  on  the  temple  walls 
doves  billed  and  cooed  and  pruned  their  soft 
plumage;  it  was  hard  to  realize  that  a few  li 
away  there  was  a mob  that  was  panting  for  their 
lives.  Once  late  in  the  afternoon  a band  of 
ragged  men  went  down  the  road  calling  and  beat- 
ing stocks  and  their  words  resounded  among  the 
hills. 

“Death  to  the  foreign  devils,”  they  shouted. 
“Slay  the  barbarians!”  and  the  echoes  took  up 
their  cry  and  prolonged  it  dreadfully. 

The  farmers,  working  their  tiny  fields,  ran  to 
hear  what  was  the  matter,  and  they  joined  in  the 
shouts  until  the  air  rang  with  them.  Then  the 
crowd  separated  and  searched  through  all  the  un- 
derbrush and  groves  of  trees,  but  they  gave  the 
temple  a wide  berth,  for  they  would  run  no  risks 
where  it  was  concerned.  Old  Scarred  Face  and 
her  charm  had  mysteriously  disappeared,  and 
anyway  her  charm  had  not  saved  them  a terrible 
wetting  the  night  before ; they  shivered  now  when 
they  thought  of  it. 

When  night  came  on  Lao  Pong  stole  out  to 
forage  for  food.  In  the  fields  he  found  some  late 
turnips  and  carrots  and  under  a chestnut  tree 
some  delicious  nuts.  In  the  corner  under  a 


234  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


ruined  stable  he  discovered  a nest  of  a truant 
hen  and  stole  the  hen  and  her  egg.  In  the  lower 
part  of  the  glen  some  rice  stood  that  had  not  been 
garnered  and  he  took  the  few  grains  to  tempt  the 
temple  pigeons,  thinking  that  perhaps  they  might 
catch  one  or  two  at  a time  and  eat  them.  Then 
he  returned  to  the  temple  with  his  plunder. 
Fortunately  the  priests  in  their  flight  had  left 
their  charcoal  brazier  and  some  fuel,  also  a few 
primitive  dishes  for  cooking.  The  foreign  doctor 
had  a box  of  matches  which  he  always  kept  in  a 
waterproof  case  and  was  able  to  light  a fire,  so 
that  night  they  did  not  fare  so  badly;  but  if  their 
exile  was  to  be  of  long  duration  there  was  a 
strong  chance  that  they  would  starve. 

Three  days  and  nights  they  spent  in  such 
fashion  and  then  it  seemed  necessary  to  get  some 
information  or  make  some  move.  The  Great 
Helpful  Lady  had  caught  a severe  chill  as  a con- 
sequence of  the  exposure,  and  now  her  symptoms 
made  them  fear  pneumonia,  and  it  was  impera- 
tive to  obtain  some  warm  covering  for  her. 

Many  plans  were  discussed,  but  they  finally 
agreed  upon  one  suggested  by  Lao  Pong.  As 
soon  as  darkness  fell  he  was  to  start  for  the 
neighboring  market  city,  and  buy  supplies  and 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


235 


food.  A man  who  had  been  cured  at  the  hospital 
lived  in  that  place  and  he  was  an  earnest  inquirer 
into  the  new  doctrine  and  very  grateful  as  well, 
so  they  felt  that  he  would  assist  them.  It  was  a 
hazardous  undertaking  hut  the  brave  Lao  Pong 
started  out  as  if  it  were  a pleasure  excursion.  In 
fact,  he  refused  to  allow  the  foreign  doctor  to 
attempt  the  trip,  knowing  that  his  master  could 
never  disguise  himself  from  the  curiosity  of  a 
crowd. 

“It  would  be  death  to  you,  but  to  me  it  is  mere 
child’s  play,”  lied  the  faithful  fellow. 

Yet  several  years  later,  the  captain  of  an  ocean 
steamer,  on  which  the  doctor  traveled,  spoke  in 
the  most  contemptuous  terms  of  the  Chinese 
race. 

“They  are  a dirty,  dishonest,  thieving  set  of 
beggars,”  the  man  announced.  “There  is  not  one 
of  them  I would  trust  around  the  block.” 

Lao  Pong’s  cheery  face  and  unselfish  acts,  and 
the  noble  death  of  Pastor  Meng,  flashed  into  the 
doctor’s  mind,  and  he  afterwards  confessed  that 
never  in  his  life  had  he  been  so  tempted  to  knock 
a man  down. 

But  to  return  to  Lao  Pong’s  adventure.  It 
was  a moonlight  night  when  he  set  forth  and  he 


236  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


had  the  advantage  of  being  able  to  see  his  path 
throughout  the  length  of  the  valley.  He  was  in- 
wardly pleased  at  this,  for  the  tales  told  of  en- 
chantment to  the  unwary  traveler  had  made  a 
deep  impression  on  his  mind,  and  he  did  not  care 
to  be  made  the  victim  of  any  spirit’s  jokes.  He 
reached  the  town  in  the  early  morning  when  the 
farmers  and  merchants  were  bringing  their  pro- 
duce into  market,  and  among  all  the  strangers 
he  caused  no  comment.  Without  much  difficulty 
he  found  the  house  of  his  friend,  who  treated  him 
with  every  courtesy,  notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  he  did  so  at  the  risk  of  his  life.  The  man 
readily  promised  to  make  Lao  Pong’s  purchases 
for  him  and  bring  back  the  news  of  the  street. 
He  was  gone  a long  time  and  when  he  returned 
his  report  was  not  encouraging.  The  anti- 
foreign  feeling  had  spread  throughout  that 
region  and  search  parties  were  out  through  the 
countryside  looking  for  the  refugees.  An  order 
had  been  pasted  on  the  city  gates  to  the  effect 
that  strangers  were  to  be  questioned  and  watch- 
men placed  at  the  entrance  of  all  the  mountain 
passes. 

Lao  Pong  decided  that  the  boldest  course 
might  in  the  end  be  the  least  suspicious.  He  had 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


237 


been  forced  to  buy  a donkey  to  carry  his  numer- 
ous purchases,  and  he  decided  to  seat  himself 
upon  it  in  true  Chinese  fashion  and  join  a cara- 
van of  merchants  who  were  just  starting  for  the 
City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda.  He  took  good  care  to 
bring  up  the  rear  where  he  could  leave  the  party 
at  any  moment  should  the  necessity  arise.  In 
this  manner  he  reached  the  entrance  of  the  Spirit 
Valley.  There  the  nature  of  the  road  forced  the 
caravan  to  separate  a little  and  he  easily  fell 
behind  the  rest  for  dusk  was  closing,  and  unno- 
ticed he  took  the  path  turning  to  the  temple. 

He  was  received  very  warmly  by  his  friends 
who  eagerly  inquired  of  his  journey  and  the  news 
he  brought.  It  was  not  reassuring  and  when  he 
reluctantly  told  them  of  the  death  of  Pastor 
Meng,  they  were  almost  overcome.  Their  lives 
had  been  saved  thus  far,  but  at  what  a cost ! 

It  was  very  apparent  that  they  must  remain 
where  they  were  for  some  time  to  come;  indeed 
the  Great  Helpful  Lady’s  condition  would  allow 
of  nothing  else.  Her  fever  was  raging,  and  at 
times  she  was  delirious,  going  over  and  over  her 
terrifying  experiences. 

The  donkey,  too,  proved  a cause  of  anxiety,  for 
whenever  a caravan  appeared  in  the  valley  he 


238  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


would  lift  up  his  voice  and  salute  his  kindred.  It 
was  finally  decided  to  hide  him  in  the  mouth  of 
the  cavern,  where  he  would  be  out  of  sight  and 
hearing  from  the  road. 

The  following  week  Lao  Pong  made  another 
attempt  to  reach  the  market  town,  but  he  was 
caught  by  some  rough  fellows  at  the  top  of  the 
pass  and  escaped  with  the  utmost  difficulty.  He 
was  gone  a day  and  a night,  and  the  refugees 
had  given  him  up  for  lost,  but  the  following  even- 
ing he  returned  weary  to  death  from  his  wander- 
ings in  the  mountains.  Three  weeks  went  by  and 
four,  and  the  Great  Helpful  Lady  was  slowly  be- 
ginning to  mend.  Old  Scarred  Face,  too,  was 
evidently  much  better  and  from  the  intelligent 
look  in  her  eyes  they  were  sure  that  she  knew 
what  was  passing,  but  she  refused  to  speak.  Her 
arm  and  rib  had  knit  and  the  wounds  on  her  head 
healed  over  and  she  seemed  able  to  move  the 
upper  part  of  her  body,  but  her  symptoms 
showed  that  she  was  paralyzed  below  her  waist, 
probably  from  the  injury  to  the  spine.  They 
felt  safe,  therefore,  where  she  was  concerned. 
The  beggar  woman  could  not  bear  to  have  Hsie 
Yin  near  her  and  once,  when  the  young  woman 
brought  her  some  food,  she  looked  so  threatening 


THE  FEARSOME  CAVERNS 


239 


that  from  that  time  forward  she  left  the  care  of 
her  to  the  others. 

Thus  the  days  went  on  to  the  end  of  the  fourth 
week.  Every  few  days  Lao  Pong  would  make  a 
fruitless  attempt  to  get  some  news,  but  he  always 
found  suspicious  characters  crawling  near  and 
would  be  forced  to  return.  Matters  were  grow- 
ing desperate;  the  stores  which  he  had  gotten  at 
the  market  city  were  just  about  exhausted  and 
they  were  all  carefully  rationed.  Lao  Pong  at 
length  made  the  desperate  resolution  of  going  to 
the  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  and  appealing  to 
the  jToung  Lord  Chang  for  aid.  Bravely  he 
started  out  and  his  friends  remained  behind,  sad 
in  the  thought  that  his  life  might  fall  a sacrifice 
to  his  loyalty  as  Pastor  Meng’s  had  done. 

Long  before  they  expected  him,  he  returned 
and  with  him  were  three  chairs  and  their  bearers. 
The  fugitives  could  scarcely  believe  their  eyes  but 
Lao  Pong’s  joyful  shout  reassured  them.  As 
soon  as  he  could  recover  his  breath,  for  he  and 
the  coolies  had  run  almost  all  the  way,  he  told 
them  his  joyful  tidings. 

“I  have  seen  Wang  Dah  Mah  and  the  young 
Lord  Chang,  and  they  have  sent  their  greetings,” 
he  explained.  “The  Governor  of  the  Province 


240  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


and  the  American  Consul  are  in  the  city  investi- 
gating the  riots.  Lord  Chang  has  committed  sui- 
cide and  Creeping  Sin  is  banished  from  the  king- 
dom forever!” 


CHAPTER  XIII 
LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS 


O,  silkilv  murmured  Creeping  Sin, 

“This  is  the  stone  you  wished  to  win.’’ 

But  in  his  ear  the  tall  thin  man 
Whispered  with  slow,  strange  lips — we  knew 
Not  what,  but  Creeping  Sin  went  blue 
With  fear;  again  his  eyes  began 
To  slant  aside;  then  through  the  porch 
He  passed,  and  lit  a tall,  brown  torch. 


HE  hours  that  had  dragged  so  wearily  in 


the  ruined  temple  had  flown  very  swiftly  in 
the  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda.  The  days  were 
scarcely  long  enough  to  accomplish  all  the  evil 
designs  of  Creeping  Sin  and  Lord  Chang. 
These  two  worthy  companions  had  found  one 
another’s  company  so  congenial  that  they  had 
thrown  all  caution  to  the  winds  and  were  seen 
constantly  together.  Creeping  Sin  unceasingly 
fawned  on  Lord  Chang  and  in  this  manner  the 
wily  intriguer  wound  his  devious  way  into  the 
confidence  of  the  nobleman. 

Evil  times  had  fallen  on  the  city.  Looting  and 


— Alfred  Noyes. 


241 


242  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


disorder  had  followed  the  riot,  for  Creeping  Sin 
and  Lord  Chang  secretly  encouraged  the  rougher 
element  in  terrorizing  the  more  respectable  mer- 
chants and  gentry,  because  they  reaped  a share 
in  the  profits. 

At  first  Creeping  Sin  was  convinced  that  the 
foreigners  had  perished  miserably  in  the  caverns 
and  he  imparted  his  conjectures  to  Lord  Chang, 
withholding,  however,  all  mention  of  Old  Scarred 
Face.  They  felt  it  wiser,  nevertheless,  to  keep 
up  some  form  of  pursuit,  in  case  their  enemies 
were  somewhere  in  hiding,  and  when  a beggar 
brought  in  word  that  Lao  Pong  had  been  seen  at 
the  market  town  in  the  vicinity,  they  renewed 
their  efforts  to  catch  the  fugitives.  The  head 
official  of  the  district,  who  was  completely  in 
Lord  Chang’s  power,  very  willingly  posted  no- 
tices against  the  barbarians  on  every  gate  and 
blank  wall,  and  had  messengers  sent  through  the 
neighboring  towns  offering  rewards  for  the  re- 
turn or  capture  of  the  refugees. 

The  more  decent  people  in  the  city  soon  grew 
tired  of  all  these  disturbances  and  wrote  of  the 
condition  of  affairs  to  the  Viceroy  of  the  Prov- 
ince. A friend  of  the  foreigners  also  notified  the 
American  Consul,  who  lived  on  the  great  river, 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  243 


telling  him  of  the  disappearance  of  his  fellow 
citizens  and  the  fear  that  they  had  been 
murdered. 

One  evening,  about  a month  after  the  first  riot, 
a yamen  runner,  who  was  in  the  pay  of  Creeping 
Sin,  came  to  his  house  and  demanded  entrance. 
He  was  received  by  his  employer  with  the  usual 
sneer  reserved  for  inferiors. 

“I  did  not  summon  you  to-night;  I told  you  to 
come  to-morrow.  You  shall  be  bastinadoed  for 
this  presumption.  Only  fools  come  where  they 
are  not  wanted,”  Creeping  Sin  threatened. 

“As  you  will,”  whined  the  spy,  “but  you  will 
lose  information  that  you  would  pay  a king’s 
ransom  to  obtain.” 

“Speak  out,  then,  and  do  not  waste  time  that  is 
worth  more  than  gold,”  replied  the  Spider. 

The  fellow  then  hastened  to  explain  that  a 
secret  message  had  just  arrived  for  the  chief 
official  announcing  that  the  Viceroy  and  the 
American  Consul  were  on  their  way  to  investi- 
gate the  riots  and  would  reach  the  city  the  next 
day. 

“You  know  it  is  not  healthy  for  the  body  or 
the  pocketbook  to  insult  foreigners  at  present,” 
said  the  man  with  an  insinuating  leer. 


244  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“When  I want  wisdom  I will  not  seek  it  from 
a knave  like  you,”  snarled  Creeping  Sin.  “Who 
says  I am  connected  with  this  affair,  I will  throw 
their  bones  to  be  eaten  by  dogs.” 

“It  is  in  everyone’s  mouth  that  you  were  seen 
at  the  mouth  of  the  caverns  talking  to  Old 
Scarred  Face  the  night  the  foreigners  disap- 
peared. Since  then  you  and  Lord  Chang  are 
always  together  and  the  pigs  on  the  street  know 
what  he  thinks  of  the  ‘foreign  devils’.” 

For  once  Creeping  Sin  let  his  rage  master  him 
and  he  leaped  at  the  man’s  throat. 

“If  you  kill  me,  you  will  not  hear  the  re- 
mainder of  the  story,”  gasped  the  man.  Creep- 
ing Sin  let  his  hand  fall  and  stood  glaring  at  the 
informer. 

The  man  told  his  tale  in  a straightforward 
manner  that  proved  its  truth.  He  had  received 
his  information  from  a servant  of  the  Viceroy 
who  had  come  to  prepare  the  way  for  his  master. 
The  most  carefully  guarded  secret  is  never  safe 
in  China;  servants  and  underlings  know  a royal 
mandate  to  their  masters  some  hours  before  those 
in  authority  receive  it  themselves.  In  this  man- 
ner it  had  become  known  that  the  Empress  Dow- 
ager was  in  a towering  rage  over  the  news  of  the 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  245 


antiforeign  riot  in  the  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda. 
She  was  at  that  moment  trying  to  establish  more 
friendly  relations  with  the  great  powers  of 
Europe  and  America  and  this  incident  might 
endanger  these  negotiations  and  prove  that  she 
was  acting  in  bad  faith.  She  was  particularly  in- 
censed with  Lord  Chang  and  had  issued  a com- 
mand at  the  hand  of  the  Viceroy  that  Lord 
Chang  should  appear  at  once  at  the  capital, 
bringing  with  him  Hsie  Yin  and  the  foreigners, 
as  her  majesty  wished  to  decorate  them  for  the 
fine  work  they  had  done  during  the  cholera  epi- 
demic. If  he  did  not  obey  immediately,  his  life 
and  estate  would  be  forfeited. 

Creeping  Sin  could  scarcely  refrain  a smile  at 
the  skill  with  which  the  wily  Empress  had  laid 
her  plans.  Whatever  happened  Lord  Chang 
would  “lose  face”  and  become  the  laughingstock 
of  the  Empire.  To  command  him,  of  all  people, 
to  honor  the  barbarians  wras  a clever  bit  of  irony. 

The  man  continued  his  story  and  Creeping 
Sin’s  smile  soon  disappeared.  The  Empress 
Dowager  had  watched  Creeping  Sin’s  evil  prac- 
tices for  many  years — in  fact  it  was  widely  re- 
ported that  he  had  paid  the  throne  a large  for- 
tune to  continue  them — and  now  her  patience 


246  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


was  exhausted.  She  therefore  banished  him  from 
the  Flowery  Kingdom  for  the  duration  of  his 
life;  a price  of  ten  thousand  taels  was  put  on  his 
head,  and  all  his  possessions  were  to  be  confis- 
cated by  the  throne. 

Creeping  Sin  was  stupefied!  Here  was  a plot 
cleverer  than  he  had  ever  conducted  against 
others.  He  did  not,  however,  let  the  man  see  how 
deeply  the  report  had  moved  him,  but  paid  him 
liberally  and  sent  him  away. 

Without  delay  Creeping  Sin  ordered  a sedan 
chair  called  and  set  off  to  see  Lord  Chang,  and 
on  the  way  he  thought  over  a scheme  by  which  he 
could  have  his  revenge  on  his  old  foe. 

Lord  Chang  received  his  ally  in  the  friendly 
fashion  he  had  assumed  toward  him  since  their 
recent  transactions.  During  the  first  hour  of  the 
visit  Creeping  Sin  kept  the  conversation  on 
pleasant  topics.  They  sipped  their  tea  and 
chatted  over  various  events  in  the  city  and  the 
plans  which  they  had  on  foot.  Creeping  Sin  very 
gradually  brought  the  talk  around  to  the  Vice- 
roy’s intended  visit.  He  told  Lord  Chang  the 
reason  for  the  official’s  coming  and  then  went  on 
to  recount  the  news  that  the  spy  had  brought,  but 
made  no  mention  concerning  his  own  banishment. 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  247 


“It  is  most  unfortunate  that  the  plot  about  the 
foreigners  should  have  become  known.  I covered 
up  the  tracks  so  carefully  that  I cannot  see  who 
the  betrayer  could  be  unless  it  might  be  the  care- 
less word  of  a wayward  boy.  I am  inconsolable 
that  this  disgrace  should  fall  upon  your  honor, 
whose  friendship  is  my  most  precious  possession. 
I am  the  more  inconsolable  because  I fear  the 
Empress  Dowager’s  indignation  will  be  even 
deeper  wrhen  she  knows  that  it  is  your  own 
daughter  w hom  you  have  treated  in  this  manner.” 

“My  own  daughter?  What  right  have  you  to 
mention  my  daughter?  It  is  heaping  indignity 
and  insult  upon  me  and  my  ancestors,”  cried 
Lord  Chang,  for  once  startled  out  of  his  ac- 
customed calm. 

“Nevertheless,  this  Dong  Hsie  Yin,  the  Chi- 
nese woman  doctor,  is  your  own  daughter,  Little 
Small-Feet,  wdiom  you  refused  to  ransom.  It 
will  take  a great  amount  of  explanation  to  make 
Her  Royal  Highness  understand  that,”  sneered 
Creeping  Sin.  “Old  Scarred  Face  and  I have 
proofs  enough  and  we  have  wrays  of  bringing  the 
matter  to  Her  Majesty’s  ears  that  will  keep  us 
out  of  the  trouble.” 

“A  present  between  friends  wrill  often  keep 


248  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


such  matters  quiet,”  answered  Lord  Chang.  “I 
have  many  affairs  to  attend  to  this  evening,  and 
it  will  be  quicker  to  name  your  price  with  no 
more  conversation.” 

“Half  of  your  possessions  must  be  handed  over 
to  me  before  the  sun  rises,  and  a letter  written  to 
your  agents  in  the  Strait  Settlements  empower- 
ing me  to  draw  on  you  at  my  pleasure,”  de- 
manded Creeping  Sin. 

“You  will  ruin  me,”  exclaimed  Lord  Chang, 
to  whom  the  thought  of  paying  out  so  much 
money  was  worse  than  all  the  other  troubles 
combined. 

“You  are  ruined  already,”  consoled  Creeping 
Sin.  “It  would  take  all  your  fortune,  large  as  it 
is,  to  make  the  Empress  receive  you  now.” 

The  men  talked  and  bargained  until  nearly 
midnight  but  could  come  to  no  agreement. 
Creeping  Sin  saw  that  the  nobleman  was  des- 
perate and  finally  compromised  on  a large  sum  to 
be  paid  by  Lord  Chang’s  bankers  in  the  Straits 
Settlements.  The  plotter  would  never  have 
made  these  terms  but  he  had  his  own  affairs  to  set 
in  order  and  time  was  precious.  With  great 
formality  and  courtesy  he  made  his  parting  bows; 
men  like  Creeping  Sin  may  forget  their  morals, 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  249 


but  in  the  presence  of  their  superiors  in  rank  they 
seldom  forget  their  manners. 

Overwhelmed  by  the  bad  tidings  Creeping  Sin 
had  brought,  Lord  Chang  sat  thinking  until 
nearly  daybreak.  He  had  no  reason  to  doubt 
the  truth  of  his  foe’s  assertions;  there  were  too 
many  proofs  brought  out  in  the  course  of  their 
conversation  to  do  that.  As  soon  as  his  guest 
had  departed,  a servant  entered  and  told  his 
master  that  the  Viceroy  was  expected  to  arrive. 
Something  in  the  fellow’s  manner  made  the 
nobleman  suspect  that  he,  too,  had  heard  the 
rumor  of  coming  disgrace. 

Various  schemes  occurred  to  the  desperate 
man’s  mind,  but  only  to  be  cast  aside  as  worth- 
less. It  wras  evident  that  his  pride  was  to  be 
humbled  to  the  dust  and  he  was  to  be  held  up  to 
the  ridicule  of  the  Empire.  If  ever  a man  “ate 
vinegar”  Lord  Chang  did  so  throughout  those 
midnight  hours.  According  to  the  ideas  of  his 
class,  only  one  course  lay  open  to  him  whereby 
he  could  save  his  “face.”  If  he  should  take 
his  own  life,  the  blame  for  his  action  would 
be  thrown  on  his  enemies  and  his  honor  would 
be  shielded;  his  respect  for  his  ancestors  and  the 
good  of  the  family  demanded  this  sacrifice. 


250  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Very  calmly  Lord  Chang  prepared  for  the 
deed.  Stretching  himself  on  his  couch  he  ex- 
tracted from  his  pocket  a tiny  phial  containing 
some  small  pellets  of  opium.  Without  the  tremor 
of  an  eyelid  he  swallowed  the  contents  of  the 
bottle,  and  then  from  a table  beside  him  he  took 
his  opium  pipe.  With  the  fatalism  of  the  Orient 
he  drew  in  deep  drafts  of  unconsciousness ; it  was 
not  strange  that  in  his  death  Lord  Chang  should 
turn  to  his  only  remaining  friend.  After  this 
manner  did  Little  Small-Feet’s  father  seek  the 
shades  of  his  ancestors. 

The  mourning  of  the  Chang  family  made  up 
in  pomp  what  it  lacked  in  sincerity.  The  two 
hundred  servants  were  dressed  in  white  and  their 
sober  faces  showed  no  trace  of  the  inward  relief 
that  they  felt  over  the  removal  of  their  oppressor. 
The  hired  mourners  did  their  part  with  zeal  and 
unction,  and  their  loud  wails  and  ear-splitting 
shrieks  attested  to  the  city  that  a very  great 
nobleman  had  passed. 

The  first  three  days  after  his  death  Lord 
Chang’s  spirit  was  supposed  to  spend  in  calling 
at  the  various  temples,  in  order  to  receive  cards 
of  merit  or  blame  for  the  deeds  done  in  this  life 
to  carry  with  him  on  his  journey.  On  the  third 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  251 


day  his  spirit  returned  to  his  home  for  a farewell 
visit,  and  it  is  much  to  be  feared  that  in  his  case 
the  bundle  of  demerits  must  have  been  a heavy 
burden  for  a shade  to  carry.  At  this  time  the 
most  important  ceremonies  occurred,  and  invita- 
tions to  the  “third  day  exercises”  were  issued  to 
all  the  prominent  people  in  the  city.  The  Vice- 
roy, who  had  come  to  degrade  the  nobleman, 
attended  to  do  honor  to  his  greatness,  and  many 
lesser  officials  knocked  their  august  heads  on  the 
floor  before  his  bier.  Only  Creeping  Sin  was 
conspicuous  by  his  absence. 

Lord  Chang’s  trip  to  the  land  of  shadows  must 
certainly  have  been  easy,  to  judge  from  the  num- 
ber of  paper  houses,  chairs,  beds,  and  furniture  of 
every  description,  that  were  burned  at  his  grave. 
Plenty  of  paper  money,  sedan  chairs,  and  even  an 
imitation  opium  pipe  went  up  into  the  flames. 
Nothing  was  spared  to  make  him  comfortable 
and  happy. 

For  forty-nine  days  prayers  were  said  by  every 
variety  of  priest,  and  all  business  and  pleasure 
were  laid  aside  while  the  whole  household 
mourned.  When  this  time  had  elapsed  the  rela- 
tives could  gradually  resume  their  former  occu- 
pations, but  once  a week,  at  least,  there  must  be 


252  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


wailing  beside  the  grave,  and  for  twenty-nine 
months  his  son  was  supposed  to  stay  in  retire- 
ment, that  he  might  show  sufficient  respect  to  his 
father’s  memory. 

The  tragic  end  to  Lord  Chang’s  career  made 
no  impression  on  Creeping  Sin.  The  night  after 
their  momentous  interview  was  spent  in  prepara- 
tion for  a speedy  departure,  for  there  was  no  use 
in  waiting  to  hear  the  sentence  of  banishment 
read.  For  years  Creeping  Sin  had  been  prepar- 
ing for  such  an  event,  and  it  did  not  take  him 
long  to  make  ready.  He  ordered  the  dwarf  to 
burn  the  premises  as  soon  as  his  master  had  de- 
parted, for  the  wily  plotter  was  determined  that 
the  Empress  Dowager  should  reap  as  little  bene- 
fit as  possible  from  the  confiscation  of  his  goods. 
Just  as  the  sun  rose,  his  task  was  completed  and 
Creeping  Sin  entered  his  sedan  chair  and  was 
carried  to  the  city  gates.  His  road  lay  past  the 
Chang  residence  and  at  the  moment  when  his 
chair  came  opposite  the  entrance,  the  first  loud 
wail  arose  which  announced  the  nobleman’s 
death.  A smile  of  triumph  lit  up  the  features  of 
Creeping  Sin;  his.enemy  was  punished  at  last;  he 
had  paid  the  price  for  all  his  arrogance. 

No  one  knew  very  definitely  what  became  of 


LORD  CHANG  EATS  BITTERNESS  253 


Creeping  Sin.  One  thing  was  certain : he  never 
returned  to  the  City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda. 
Rumor  said  that  he  had  settled  somewhere  in  the 
Straits  Settlements,  although  some  maintained 
that  he  was  reaping  a fortune  on  the  coast  of 
Africa.  When  the  Chinese  Republic  was  estab- 
lished and  the  old  order  swept  away,  many 
thought  that  he  might  purchase  a pardon  and 
return  to  his  own  country,  but  he  was  too  dan- 
gerous a man  to  be  desired  by  any  party  and  his 
banishment  was  not  repealed. 

After  the  Great  War  broke  out  and  the  fa- 
mous Emden  raided  the  waters  of  the  Far  East, 
it  was  reported  that  a Chinese  merchant  who 
closely  resembled  Creeping  Sin  had  been  arrested 
at  Penang  for  sending  searchlight  messages  to 
the  German  captain.  A secret  arrest  and  trial 
followed  but  the  findings  of  the  court  were  not 
announced,  so  it  was  not  known  by  the  outside 
world  what  sentence  was  passed  on  the  prisoner. 

One  morning,  as  the  sun  came  up  in  splendor 
over  a tropical  sea,  a firing  squad  stealthily  crept 
through  the  palm  trees  down  to  where  the  surf 
was  beating  along  the  shore.  Swiftly  and  in 
a businesslike  manner  they  accomplished  their 
errand : a shot  rang  over  the  water,  then  all  was 


254  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


quiet  but  the  breaking  of  the  waves.  Perhaps 
these  men  could  solve  the  mystery  of  Creeping 
Sin’s  fate,  but  military  discipline  keeps  them  dis- 
creetly silent. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


We  have  come  by  curious  ways 
To  the  Light  that  holds  the  days; 
We  have  sought  in  haunts  of  fear 
For  that  all-enfolding  sphere: 

And  lo ! it  was  not  far,  but  near. 

We  have  found,  O foolish-fond, 

The  shore  that  has  no  shore  beyond. 

Deep  in  every  heart  it  lies 
WTith  its  untranscended  skies ; 

For  what  heaven  should  bend  above 
Hearts  that  own  the  heaven  of  love  ? 


HE  great  gates  of  the  city  stood  wide  open 


on  the  day  of  Little  Small-Feet’s  return. 
Wheelbarrows  full  of  supplies  and  donkeys 
loaded  with  merchandise  jostled  each  other  in 
the  entrance  way.  On  a stool  beside  the  road  a 
man  was  having  his  head  shaved,  for  in  this 
region  the  barber  shops  were  in  the  open  air  and 
the  hairdresser  and  his  patron  had  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  watch  the  passing  show  and  comment  on 


— Alfred  Noyes. 


255 


256  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


the  traffic,  and  many  titbits  of  news  they  rolled 
around  their  tongue. 

With  beating  hearts  the  fugitives  approached 
the  spot.  What  would  be  their  welcome  to  this 
city  from  which  they  had  been  so  rudely  turned 
out?  Thus  far  they  had  been  able  to  avoid  atten- 
tion for  there  had  been  few  passers-by,  but  now 
the  observant  street  gamins  would  surely  notice 
them.  Were  they  to  be  insulted  and  jeered  at  or 
would  the  presence  of  the  Viceroy  keep  the 
citizens  respectful?  Only  time  would  tell. 

The  barber  was  the  first  to  catch  sight  of  the 
foreign  doctor  and  he  nearly  dropped  his  razor 
in  his  surprise.  He  immediately  forgot  his  wait- 
ing customer  and  running  forward  made  a re- 
spectful bow  to  the  stranger. 

“Are  you  returning  to  our  unworthy  city?”  he 
inquired  deferentially.  It  was  evident  that  the 
barber  was  exceedingly  anxious  that  no  suspicion 
of  having  joined  the  mob  should  cling  to  him. 

Others  then  pressed  forward,  welcoming  the 
party  and  even  going  so  far  as  to  invite  them  to 
stop  and  take  tea.  Women  ran  to  their  doors 
and  stood  there  smiling  and  bowing,  and  when  an 
unlucky  urchin  raised  the  cry  of  “foreign  devils” 
his  mother  promptly  boxed  his  ears  and  hustled 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


257 


him  into  the  house.  With  the  death  of  Lord 
Chang  and  the  disappearance  of  Creeping  Sin, 
the  whole  atmosphere  of  the  city  seemed  changed 
and  the  people  breathed  more  freely. 

“I  have  always  maintained,”  said  Li  Sao  Tze, 
who  was  apt  to  repeat  to  herself,  “that  the  for- 
eigners were  beneficial  with  their  good  deeds.  If 
it  had  not  been  for  them  I should  never  have  seen 
again.  Lord  Chang  never  tried  to  cure  my  eyes. 
The  people  do  well  to  show  the  doctors  every 
honor,  but  all  this  politeness  will  not  bring  back 
Pastor  Meng.” 

The  same  thought  often  occurred  to  the 
friends  as  they  sadly  took  up  their  work.  At 
every  turn  they  missed  Pastor  Meng’s  wise  coun- 
sel and  his  bright,  happy  face.  No  one  ever 
could  take  his  place  and  for  days  they  could 
scarcely  mention  his  name  because  his  loss  lay  so 
heavy  on  their  hearts. 

The  hospital  had  been  very  thoroughly  looted, 
but  the  Viceroy  had  issued  an  order  that  if  the 
culprits  wished  to  avoid  punishment,  all  stolen 
goods  must  be  returned.  The  result  was  that 
before  the  friends  reached  the  hospital  much  had 
been  brought  back.  Under  the  cover  of  darkness 
there  would  be  a knock  at  the  compound  gate, 


258  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


and  when  it  was  opened  the  person  who  had 
knocked  would  have  disappeared  and  a bedstead, 
a mattress,  or  a table  would  block  the  way.  In 
this  manner  a great  deal  of  the  property  was  re- 
stored and  Wang  Dah  Mah  spent  her  time  in 
bringing  order  out  of  chaos. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  do  justice  to  the 
warmth  of  Wang  Dah  Mah’s  greeting  as  she 
stood  at  the  gate  with  tears  of  joy  running  down 
her  face. 

“The  angels  have  again  guarded  you,  have 
they  not,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje?”  she  exclaimed. 
When  Old  Scarred  Face  was  lifted  from  her 
chair  and  carried  into  the  hospital,  the  amah’s 
countenance  was  a study. 

“Why  did  you  not  leave  her  to  die?  She  is  no 
good  to  anybody  and  the  world  would  be  a better 
place  without  her!”  the  old  amah  cried. 

“We  could  not  do  that.  You  know  who  set  us 
the  example  of  forgiving  our  enemies,”  answered 
Little  Small-Feet,  as  she  directed  the  men  how 
to  handle  the  injured  woman  more  gently. 

The  day  was  crowded  with  cares.  Visitors 
and  cards  of  congratulations  poured  in  and  there 
was  scarcely  time  to  eat.  The  Viceroy  and  city 
officials  sent  messengers  to  inquire  after  the 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


259 


health  of  the  foreigners  and  also  contributed 
large  subscriptions  to  the  hospitals  and  said  that 
the  following  day  they  would  come  in  person. 
There  was  no  doubt  about  it:  there  was  a new 
spirit  abroad. 

On  the  first  evening  a man  came  to  the  com- 
pound gate  and  asked  to  see  the  doctor  on  im- 
portant business.  He  was  given  admission  and 
conducted  to  the  doctor’s  office;  after  the  usual 
bows  and  mutual  inquiries  for  each  other’s  names 
and  health,  he  told  his  errand. 

“I  have  come  to  make  a confession,”  he  said 
simply,  “and  to  tell  of  the  last  words  of  Pastor 
Meng.  I do  not  know  whether  you  will  ever  for- 
give me  for  being  present,  but  even  if  you  do  not, 
I must  speak  and  rid  myself  of  a burden  that  is 
choking  me,”  and  he  made  a gesture  at  his  throat 
as  if  he  wTere  actually  strangling. 

“I  will  not  make  excuses  but  plainly  say  that 
I was  with  the  mob,  for  the  excitement  on  the 
street  seemed  to  carry  me  away.  When  I en- 
tered the  compound  and  saw  that  the  people  were 
mad  for  slaughter,  I turned  to  leave.  At  that 
moment  the  stone  was  hurled  that  struck  Pastor 
Meng  and  he  fell  almost  at  my  feet.  I heard  him 
say,  ‘Oh,  I see  Jesus,  I see  Jesus,’  and  I have 


260  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


never  seen  a human  face  shine  as  did  his  at  that 
moment.  Who  is  this  Jesus  whom  he  spoke 
about  and  what  is  the  doctrine  that  will  make  a 
man  lay  down  his  life  so  gladly  for  his  belief?  A 
religion  that  will  give  a man  such  courage  is  the 
religion  that  I want.  Will  you  not  give  me  the 
secret  of  its  power?  When  I have  found  out 
about  it,  I am  willing  to  be  punished,  but  first 
let  me  learn  this  great  truth.” 

The  doctor  talked  to  the  man  until  late  into  the 
night  and  his  eager  mind  seemed  fairly  to  drink 
in  the  message. 

“May  I ask,”  the  stranger  inquired  as  he  rose 
to  leave,  “if  all  the  Christians  in  your  country  are 
men  of  burning  hearts  like  Pastor  Meng?”1 

“Men  like  Pastor  Meng  are  rare  in  any  coun- 
try,” the  doctor  said  sadly. 

Another  and  a frequent  visitor  was  young 
Lord  Chang,  now  Lord  Chang  in  his  own  right. 
Whenever  he  could  steal  away  from  the  lengthy 
mourning  at  home,  he  would  come  to  the  foreign 
doctor  and  consult  him  about  many  questions. 
His  father  had  left  a huge  fortune,  far  larger 
than  anyone  had  supposed,  and  a good  third  of 

1 Dr.  Speer  reports  that  a question  like  this  was  actually 
asked  a foreigner  after  the  Boxer  uprising. 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


261 


the  land  in  the  city  belonged  to  the  estate.  The 
young  man  had  decided  to  keep  enough  to  sup- 
port the  family  according  to  their  rank,  and  the 
remainder  he  wished  to  use  for  the  benefit  of  his 
countiy.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  that  to  ad- 
minister such  a vast  sum  to  the  greatest  advan- 
tage he  must  have  a foreign  education,  and  he 
consulted  the  doctor  about  what  courses  he 
should  take  and  where  he  should  study.  Pastor 
Meng’s  death  had  also  had  a profound  effect 
upon  him. 

“I  have  never  been  so  impressed  by  anyone 
as  I was  by  him.  I knew  as  soon  as  I saw  him 
that  he  had  something  I had  not.  Since  his  death 
I hear  from  many  quarters  the  kindnesses  he  did 
in  many  quiet  ways  for  the  poor.  I want  to  be 
trained  so  that  I can  be  like  him  and  teach  others 
the  way  he  did.  My  country  lacks  leaders  of  un- 
selfish purpose,  who  will  gladly  lay  down  their 
lives  for  the  sake  of  a great  cause.  China’s 
greatest  need  to-day  is  men  of  burning  hearts 
like  Pastor  Meng.” 

The  doctor  was  much  impressed  by  the  fact 
that  two  such  different  types  of  people  had  de- 
scribed the  impression  Pastor  Meng  had  made 
on  them  in  exactly  the  same  words.  These  ex- 


262  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


pressions  of  praise  were  on  all  the  people’s  lips 
in  the  next  few  days.  The  foreigners  were  sur- 
prised to  discover  how  widely  Pastor  Meng  was 
known  and  how  many  acts  of  kindness  he  had 
done  in  the  short  months  he  had  been  in  the  city. 
One  of  the  women  came  with  a gift  of  a few  cash 
for  the  rebuilding  of  the  chapel. 

“I  am  very  poor,”  she  said,  and  indeed  she 
looked  it,  “but  I want  to  give  what  I can  to  help 
the  work  Pastor  Meng  loved.  He  sat  up  all 
night  with  my  husband  when  he  was  so  bad  with 
the  cholera,  and  he  would  take  no  pay.  The  poor 
of  the  city  have  lost  a great  friend.” 

Life  at  the  hospital  resumed  its  usual  course, 
and  now  that  the  people  had  lost  their  prejudices, 
the  wards  were  full.  Young  Lord  Chang  had 
offered  to  give  the  foreigners  a fine  piece  of 
property  in  the  highest  part  of  the  city,  on  which 
they  could  erect  hospitals,  schools,  and  residences, 
and  the  friends  were  soon  deep  in  plans  and 
contracts. 

Lord  Chang  evinced  his  interest  in  all  these 
plans  by  making  many  useful  suggestions  and 
by  helping  to  engage  the  best  workmen  the  city 
afforded.  Wang  Dah  Mali  was  equally  inter- 
ested and  came  almost  every  day  to  help  in  the 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


263 


wards.  One  blustery  winter  day  Wang  Dab 
Mah  left  the  palace  and  took  the  usual  road  to 
the  hospital.  On  the  preceding  morning  Hsie 
Yin  had  visited  Lady  Chang  at  the  latter’s  re- 
quest and  had  prescribed  for  her  cough.  Wang 
Dah  Mah  wdshed  to  hear  of  the  result  of  the 
examination  away  from  her  mistress’s  presence 
so,  glad  of  an  excuse  to  see  Hsie  Yin,  whom  she 
admired  more  than  anyone  else  in  the  world,  she 
decided  to  go  to  the  foreign  compound  and  make 
her  inquiries  there. 

“O  Wang  Dah  Mah,”  Little  Small-Feet  ex- 
claimed, as  she  greeted  her  favorite  with  out- 
stretched hands,  “I  am  sure  that  I can  help  your 
lady.  Her  cough  is  not  serious;  the  trouble  is 
with  her  spirits;  she  seems  to  be  very,  very  sad. 
Did  she  love  Lord  Chang  so  dearly,  that  she 
should  grieve  like  this?” 

“That  is  not  the  trouble,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje. 
No  member  of  his  family  could  really  mourn  for 
him ; the  house  is  a pleasanter  place  now  that  he 
is  gone.  Lady  Chang  has  been  sorrowful  these 
many  years  because  a little  daughter  was 
drowned  in  the  river  and  she  has  never  been  in- 
terested in  anything  since  that  day.  The  priests 
in  the  temple  told  her  that  the  child  was  not  a 


264  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


real  human  being  but  a changeling  and  that  she 
ought  to  be  glad  that  she  is  gone.  We  know  bet- 
ter now,  you  and  I,  and  I have  been  telling  my 
mistress  about  what  you  taught  me  and  that  is  the 
reason  she  wanted  to  see  you.  You  will  go  often, 
will  you  not,  and  tell  her  that  sometime  or  other 
she  will  see  the  child  again?”  pleaded  Wang  Dah 
Mah. 

“Indeed,  I will,  if  your  mistress  wants  me.  I 
loved  her  from  the  moment  I saw  her;  there  is 
something  that  is  very  wistful  and  appealing 
about  her.  Is  it  not  strange  that  the  palace  and 
the  gardens  seemed  very  familiar  to  me  ? I knew 
without  being  told  where  I should  find  the  sum- 
mer house  and  the  view  of  the  river  and  the 
pagoda  seemed  like  a long-forgotten  dream.  I 
suppose  they  must  be  like  some  of  the  gardens  in 
the  City  Lying  in  the  Shadow  of  Purple  Moun- 
tain, but  I am  sure  that  there  was  no  pagoda 
there.  I must  ask  my  lady  about  it.” 

Wang  Dah  Mah  could  give  no  solution  to  this 
problem,  and  seeing  that  Hsie  Yin  was  busy  she 
turned  her  footsteps  toward  the  wards,  for  there 
was  nothing  that  the  amah  liked  better  than  to 
go  from  bed  to  bed,  talking  to  the  patients  and 
telling  them  the  good  news  that  had  wrought 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


265 


such  a change  in  her  life.  When  she  entered  the 
room  she  hesitated  to  whom  she  should  go  first. 
Several  women  beckoned  to  her,  and  Old  Scarred 
Face  who  lay  near  the  door  made  no  sign,  but 
there  was  a fierce  questioning  look  in  her  eyes 
that  drew  Wang  Dah  Mah  irresistibly  to  her 
side. 

The  good  soul  had  made  up  her  mind,  when 
she  saw  how  Hsie  Yin  treated  Old  Scarred  Face, 
that  if  she  who  had  been  so  grievously  wronged 
could  act  in  such  a forgiving  spirit,  she  herself 
certainly  could.  So  for  several  weeks  she  had 
gone  to  the  beggar  in  exactly  the  same  way  she 
had  to  other  women,  and  would  bring  her  book 
and  read  little  bits  out  of  the  Gospels.  Old 
Scarred  Face  was  anything  but  responsive,  but 
she  did  not  revile  her  for  doing  it,  and  Wang 
Dah  Mah  took  that  as  a favorable  sign  and  con- 
tinued her  efforts.  Sometimes  she  went  so  far  as 
to  bring  the  sick  woman  a flower,  an  orange,  or  a 
sweetmeat,  and  she  noticed  that  at  last  Old 
Scarred  Face  seemed  to  watch  the  door  and  her 
face  would  brighten  when  she  saw  the  old  amah 
approach  her.  When  she  drew  closer,  the  cloud 
would  again  fall,  however,  and  she  would  greet 
her  visitor  with  the  old  sullen  look. 


266  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


This  evening  for  the  first  time,  Old  Scarred 
Face  volunteered  a remark. 

“What  makes  them  do  it?  What  makes  them 
do  it?”  she  said  huskily,  as  if  forced  by  some 
inner  compulsion  to  speak  against  her  will. 

“Do  what?”  asked  Wang  Dah  Mah  be- 
wildered. 

“Take  me  in  and  care  for  me  when  they  must 
hate  me  the  way  I do  them.  They  are  certainly 
mad;  or  are  they  just  trying  to  make  me  well  so 
that  they  can  torture  me  afterwards?  I wish  that 
they  would  kill  me  at  once  and  be  done  with  it,” 
said  the  beggar  woman. 

Wang  Dah  Mah  nearly  laughed  in  her  face; 
the  thought  of  Dong  Hsiao  Dje  killing  anyone 
was  too  absurd. 

“They  are  not  going  to  murder  you;  they  are 
trying  to  make  you  well.  They  are  benevolent 
people  and  to  hate  anyone  is  not  their  custom. 
Their  religion  tells  them  to  return  good  for  evil. 
That  is  how  the  Great  Teacher  taught  them  to 
act,”  the  amah  answered. 

“Who  is  this  Teacher  you  are  always  talking 
about  and  where  did  he  live?”  questioned  Old 
Scarred  Face,  thinking  that  here  she  might  find 
solution  to  the  mystery. 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


267 


“He  came  to  earth  to  teach  us  how  to  live,  and 
he  died  for  all  the  world,”  said  Wang  Dali  Mali. 

“But  what  made  him  die?”  asked  the  beggar 
woman.  “Tell  me  all  about  it.” 

“Ah,  that  is  the  story  that  hurts  the  heart!” 
exclaimed  Wang  Dali  Mali  sorrowfully.  “Men 
would  not  receive  the  news  of  peace  and  rest  he 
brought  and  he  was  done  to  hitter  death  by  foes.” 
The  short  winter  day  was  drawing  to  a close, 
and  the  long  evening  shadows  were  filling  the 
room  with  odd  distorted  outlines;  it  was  just  the 
hour  when  one  would  talk  intimately  and  softly 
of  strange  lands  and  unseen  things ; there  in  the 
twilight,  in  the  picturesque  language  of  the 
Orient,  Wang  Dali  Mali  told  to  this  woman  who 
was  a sinner  the  story  of  the  crucifixion.  Old 
Scarred  Face  watched  the  narrator  breathlessly 
and  listened  unconscious  of  anything  else,  while 
the  amah  with  fast  falling  tears  made  the  scene  as 
vivid  as  if  it  had  happened  yesterday.  It  is  hard 
for  those  who  have  always  been  familiar  with  it 
to  realize  the  tragedy  and  beauty  of  the  story  as 
those  do  who  hear  it  for  the  first  time. 

“You  say  this  thing  is  true,  and  that  our  sins 
will  be  forgiven  and  that  when  we  die  we  will  go 
and  live  with  that t Great  Teacher?”  asked  Old 


268  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


Scarred  Face.  “It  is  a strange  tale  and  hard  for 
an  ignorant  person  to  understand,  but  he  was  a 
good  man,  a good  man!” 

“Yes,  it  is  true;  but  to  be  forgiven,  we  must 
repent  of  the  evil  things  that  we  have  done  and 
try  and  do  better,”  said  Wang  Dah  Mah. 

“That  would  be  a miracle;  I have  been  taught 
to  hate  everyone  and  look  out  for  myself  all  my 
life;  I am  too  old  for  anything  else,”  and  as  if  to 
prove  her  words,  Old  Scarred  Face  began  to 
revile  her  acquaintances,  particularly  Creeping 
Sin. 

“You  should  not  talk  in  that  dreadful  man- 
ner,” said  Wang  Dah  Mah  sternly.  “Decent 
people  will  not  stand  it,  how  much  less  the  great 
God  in  heaven!” 

To  Wang  Dah  Mah’s  surprise,  Old  Scarred 
Face  took  the  rebuke  quietly  and  made  no  reply. 
The  two  women  had  been  so  intent  on  their  con- 
versation that  they  had  not  noticed  what  was 
going  on  in  the  ward  around  them,  but  now 
Wang  Dah  Mah  saw  that  it  was  time  for  the 
patient’s  supper  so  she  rose  to  leave. 

“It  is  a strange,  strange  tale,”  said  Old 
Scarred  Face  once  more.  “I  should  never  believe 
it  for  a moment  if  they  had  not  treated  me  so 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


2G9 


well  here.  I should  like  to  see  that  place  you  call 
heaven;  I am  very  tired  of  wandering  from  place 
to  place,  and  living  in  the  hovels  and  caves  is 
hard  when  one  is  old.  Is  it  even  better  than  the 
hospital?”  she  asked  wistfully.  “But  I cannot 
change  now.” 

“Yes,  it  is  far,  far  better  than  the  hospital, 
and  it  is  never  too  late.  Remember  the  man  on 
the  cross;  he  repented  and  received  forgiveness. 
I must  go  now  for  here  comes  the  nurse,  but  I 
will  come  to-morrow  and  tell  you  more.” 

In  asking  Old  Scarred  Face  to  repent  and 
confess.  Old  Wang  Dah  Mah  had  unconsciously 
asked  of  the  beggar  woman  the  very  hardest 
thing  she  could  have  done.  A nurse  at  that 
moment  spilled  some  broth  on  the  bed  and  was 
startled  at  the  string  of  dreadful  oaths  that  were 
hurled  at  her.  Wang  Dah  Mah  looked  at  Old 
Scarred  Face  reproachfully  but  to  no  effect;  a 
reaction  had  set  in  against  her  recent  docility. 
Very  much  disappointed,  Wang  Dah  Mah  left 
the  ward. 

When  Wang  Dah  Mah  returned  the  follow- 
ing day,  instead  of  receiving  her  with  pleasure. 
Old  Scarred  Face  scowled  at  her  and  refused  to 
speak,  and  although  the  amah  lingered  for  some 


270  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


time,  she  could  get  no  word  out  of  the  beggar 
woman.  Several  days  followed  with  the  same 
result  and  it  seemed  as  if  Old  Scarred  Face 
had  repented  of  having  talked  so  freely  and  de- 
termined not  to  commit  herself  further.  No  one 
knew  of  the  terrible  struggle  that  was  going  on 
within  her,  a struggle  between  the  evil  she  had 
always  known  and  the  tiny  seed  of  good  that  had 
recently  been  planted.  The  doctors  wondered 
why  her  heart  should  grow  weaker  and  weaker 
and  did  not  realize  that  it  was  the  violent  mental 
conflict  that  was  shortening  the  woman’s  life. 
To  give  up  hate  for  love,  to  substitute  good  will 
for  malicious  deeds,  seemed  impossible  after  so 
many  years.  Yet  the  fact  remained,  and  Old 
Scarred  Face  admitted  it  to  herself,  that  if  she 
wished  to  enjoy  any  happiness  in  the  future  she 
must  confess  her  misdeeds  and  try  to  repair  the 
mischief  she  had  done  before  she  died.  The  scene 
on  the  cross  had  made  a vivid  impression  on  her 
mind  and  some  words  of  Wang  Dah  Mah  rang 
in  her  ears : 

“If  we  do  not  repent  and  follow  his  teaching 
he  will  have  died  in  vain  so  far  as  we  are 
concerned.” 

The  hours  dragged  on  and  the  woman  failed 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


271 


by  the  moment;  it  seemed  impossible  that  she 
should  live  through  another  night,  hut  her  heart 
still  beat  on,  and  toward  morning  grew  a little 
firmer.  Finally,  the  nurse  standing  beside  her  bed 
thought  she  saw  the  sick  woman’s  lips  move.  She 
bent  over  her  to  hear  the  words,  for  the  voice  that 
had  been  so  coarse  and  harsh  was  very  feeble  now. 

“Give  me  some  of  that  medicine  to  make  me 
strong  and  send  for  Wang  Dah  Mali;  I have 
something  to  say  to  her,”  Old  Scarred  Face 
whispered. 

The  nurse  did  as  she  was  asked  and  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  Wang  Dah  Mali  was  beside  the 
sick  woman. 

“Make  all  these  people  go  away,”  commanded 
Old  Scarred  Face.  “What  I say  to  you,  you 
may  tell  them  yourself,  but  they  shall  not  have 
the  triumph  of  hearing  me.” 

Wang  Dah  Mah  told  the  nurse  and  the  doctors 
what  the  woman  had  said  and  they  at  once  with- 
drew to  the  other  end  of  the  ward. 

“I  am  too  weak  to  tell  the  whole  story;  anyway 
why  should  I ? The  main  facts  are  enough.  This 
Dong  Hsiao  Dje,  whom  you  think  so  much  of,  is 
Little  Small-F eet.  I stole  her  when  I found  her 
lost  near  the  blue  pagoda  and  held  her  for  a ran- 


272  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


som.  Lord  Chang — may  the  dogs  tear  his  heart 
out  in  the  place  to  which  he  has  gone — refused  to 
pay  the  money,  so  I kept  her  until  the  foreign 
lady  adopted  her.”  After  this  long  sentence  the 
woman  paused  for  breath. 

“Little  Small-Feet?  Little  Small-Feet? 
Why,  your  mind  must  be  wandering.  Little 
Small-Feet  was  drowned  in  the  typhoon;  her 
father  told  us  the  story,”  exclaimed  Wang  Dah 
Mah,  who  could  not  believe  her  ears  and  thought 
that  the  woman  must  be  inventing  this  wild  tale. 

“You  may  believe  me  or  not,  as  you  choose, 
but  you  know  Lord  Chang  well  enough  to  under- 
stand that  he  would  not  love  to  pay  a large  ran- 
som for  anything,  particularly  for  a daughter  he 
did  not  desire.  Here  is  a charm  I took  from  off 
the  girl’s  neck  when  I sold  her  clothes.  You 
probably  made  it  yourself,  so  you  ought  to  recog- 
nize it.”  Old  Scarred  Face  then  drew  from  out 
the  garment  she  was  wearing  a charm  such  as 
young  children  carry  to  keep  off  the  evil  eye. 

When  Wang  Dah  Mah  saw  this,  all  her  doubts 
were  dispelled  and  she  left  Old  Scarred  Face  to 
herself  and  hurried  to  where  the  others  were 
standing. 

“O  Dong  Hsiao  Dje,  Dong  Hsiao  Dje,”  she 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


273 


cried,  “Old  Scarred  Face  says  that  you  are  Little 
Small-Feet.” 

“Of  course,  I am  Little  Small-Feet,  but  only 
my  lady  calls  me  that  now,”  replied  Hsie  Yin, 
surprised  at  Wang  Dah  Mali’s  excitement. 

“Yes,  but  she  says  you  are  my  Little  Small- 
Feet,  whom  we  all  thought  was  drowned  in  the 
river,  and  your  father  was  Lord  Chang,  but  he 
would  not  pay  a ransom,  so  Old  Scarred  Face 
kept  you,”  answered  the  amah  impulsively  seiz- 
ing Hsie  Yin’s  hand. 

They  all  returned  to  Old  Scarred  Face’s  bed, 
who  told  them  in  a feeble  voice  about  her  share  in 
the  kidnaping.  As  she  talked,  long-forgotten 
incidents  flashed  into  Hsie  Yin’s  mind  which 
went  far  to  confirm  the  story. 

“Was  it  you,  Wang  Dah  Mah,”  Hsie  Yin 
asked,  “who  taught  me  the  song  about  Little 
Small-F eet?  It  runs : 


‘The  small-footed  girl 

With  the  sweet  little  smile. 
She  loves  to  eat  sugar 
And  sweets  all  the  while. 

Her  money’s  all  gone 

And  because  she  can’t  buy. 
She  holds  her  small  feet 

While  she  sits  down  to  cry.’  ” 


274  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


“Yes,  yes,”  laughed  Wang  Dah  Mah;  “I  used 
to  sing  it  to  you  sitting  by  the  goldfish  pool.” 

Old  Scarred  Face  listened  to  them  with  an 
anxious  scowl  on  her  face,  but  her  breath  was 
growing  labored  and  her  hands  cold. 

“When  are  you  going  to  put  me  into  the 
street?”  she  faltered. 

“Into  the  street?  Why,  what  do  you  mean?” 
asked  Hsie  Yin. 

“I  thought,  of  course,  you  would  throw  me  out 
when  you  had  found  what  I had  done.  I would 
have  turned  you  out  like  a dog  if  you  had  acted 
so  to  me.  It  is  the  custom  here  not  to  let  people 
die  in  the  house;  it  brings  bad  luck,”  faltered  the 
beggar  woman. 

She  had  been  so  comfortable  in  the  hospital; 
was  it  any  wonder  that  her  confession  cost  her  a 
great  effort  when  she  feared  such  a result? 

“We  would  not  think  of  treating  anyone  in 
such  a manner.  We  are  too  glad  that  you  have 
told  us  to  take  such  a mean  revenge,”  said  Little 
Small-Feet. 

A great  joy  flashed  over  the  dying  woman’s 
face;  the  hard  lines  were  swept  away  and  a 
gentler  look  came  into  the  fierce  glance. 

“Oh,  now  I know  you  spoke  the  truth  when 


“THE  OLD  ORDER  CHANGETH” 


275 


you  told  the  story  of  the  Great  Teacher,  for  you 
live  his  words  all  the  time.  I hated  you  because 
Lord  Chang  refused  to  pay  a ransom  for  you, 
and  I swore  that  I would  have  my  revenge.  We 
beggars  are  not  taught  goodness,  as  you  know; 
we  think  that  it  makes  people  soft.  Will  you 
forgive  me,  for  I never  had  a chance?” 

Hsie  Yin  took  the  clawlike  hand  and  raised  it 
to  her  lips.  At  the  touch  of  her  lips  Old  Scarred 
Face  smiled  contentedly,  then  she  closed  her 
eyes  and  they  thought  that  she  would  not  speak 
again.  Suddenly,  however,  she  returned  to 
consciousness. 

“I  have  just  had  a dream,”  she  whispered, 
“and  I saw  hundreds  of  thousands  of  women  and 
children  clothed  in  rags  and  living  in  wretched- 
ness, women  and  children  exactly  like  you  and  I 
were,  and  they  howled  and  swore  and  died  out  in 
the  mountains  and  in  their  hovels.  Is  there  no 
place  like  this  for  them?  Will  no  one  tell  them 
about  the  Great  Teacher?” 

“We  will  do  our  best,”  sighed  Little  Small- 
Feet;  “that  is  what  we  came  here  for.” 

“But  you  are  so  few  and  they  are  so  many; 
their  cries  ring  in  my  ears,  because  many  of  them 
I taught  to  lie  and  steal.  Won’t  you  tell  more 


276  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


people  in  the  great  country  beyond  the  seas  about 
the  beggars  and  their  needs?”  moaned  Old 
Scarred  Face. 

Again  she  slept  and  they  stood  silent  watching 
her;  then,  just  as  the  first  rosy  fingers  of  dawn 
drew  away  the  dark  curtain  of  night,  a bright 
smile  lighted  up  her  face;  she  drew  one  sigh  of 
deep  contentment  and  then,  like  the  other  peni- 
tent woman  long  ago,  Old  Scarred  Face  met  her 
Master  in  the  light  of  the  early  morning. 

When  all  was  over,  Little  Small-Feet  turned 
to  her  old  amah  and  said  softly,  “Xow  take  me 
to  my  mother,  Wang  Dah  Mali.” 


CHAPTER  XV 

A CITY  WHERE  DREAMS  COME  TRUE 


All  the  shores  when  day  is  done 
Fade  into  the  setting  sun, 

So  this  story  tries  to  teach 
More  than  can  be  taught  in  speech. 


— Alfred  Noyes. 


WELVE  years  have  passed  since  Little 


Small-Feet  came  into  her  own.  Every 
March  when  gentle  Spring  and  her  little  breezes 
travel  northward,  she  finds  new  changes  in  the 
City  of  the  Blue  Pagoda  and  upon  the  mountain 
side.  First,  it  was  the  huts  that  clustered  around 
the  old  wall  that  had  disappeared  to  be  replaced 
by  tiny  houses  and  market  gardens;  the  next 
season,  she  found  that  a large  portion  of  the 
poorer  section  had  vanished  and  very  plain  but 
sanitary  buildings  had  taken  the  place  of  the 
hovels.  Again,  another  year,  street  lights  had 
been  installed;  and,  finally,  the  hospitals  and 
schools  were  completed;  never  before  in  the 
history  of  the  Province  had  education  been  more 


277 


278  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


popular.  Business  had  improved,  too,  since 
opium-smoking  and  gambling  had  been  abol- 
ished; the  many  junks,  steam  launches,  and 
motor  boats  on  the  river  told  of  the  increased 
prosperity. 

Hsie  Yin  and  her  brother,  Lord  Chang,  have 
been  given  an  opportunity  that  few  reformers 
have  had;  the  immense  fortune  their  father  left 
has  made  it  possible  to  carry  out  the  ideas  that 
they  received  while  studying  abroad,  and  their 
gift  for  organization  and  reconstruction  has  kept 
them  from  the  mistakes  that  idealists  often  make. 
They  have  wrought  their  changes  gradually,  so 
as  not  to  arouse  the  hostility  of  a very  conserva- 
tive people,  delaying  improvements  long  after 
they  were  planned  in  order  to  carry  public  opin- 
ion with  them.  Their  personal  popularity,  and 
the  fact  that  it  was  members  of  their  own  race 
and  not  foreigners  who  were  suggesting  these 
ridiculous  alterations,  has  helped  very  much  to 
allay  fears  and  break  down  prejudice. 

“Oh,  yes,”  the  poor  people  say,  with  a shake 
of  the  head,  “the  great  folks  are  wild  for  cleanli- 
ness and  order;  let  them  have  it  if  they  are  willing 
to  pay  for  it.” 

Of  course  the  rougher  element,  the  beggars 


A CITY  WHERE  DREAMS  COME  TRUE  279 


and  criminals,  were  much  against  these  innova- 
tions and  tried  to  make  trouble,  but  young  Lord 
Chang’s  prominent  position  made  it  possible  for 
him  to  have  them  banished  or  punished  and  these 
disturbances  ceased. 

The  foreign  doctor  and  the  Great  Helpful 
Lady  remained  in  the  city  for  eight  years;  then 
the  doctor  broke  down  in  health  and  was  forced 
to  return  to  his  own  country.  Little  Small-Feet 
has  greatly  missed  their  companionship.  She  has 
secured  two  foreign-trained  Chinese  doctors  to 
fill  their  places,  but  the  newcomers  are  at 
present  too  immature  to  be  trusted  with  the  full 
responsibility. 

The  work  that  is  dearest  to  Hsie  Yin’s  heart  is 
that  among  the  girls  and  beggar  children.  One 
of  the  prettiest  and  quaintest  sights  in  all  the 
world  may  be  seen  on  the  mornings  when  Little 
Small-F eet  visits  the  kindergarten ; the  little  tots 
cluster  around  her,  clutching  at  her  skirts  and 
looking  up  into  her  face  with  adoring  eyes,  or 
draw  their  chairs  in  a circle  to  hear  her  tell  them 
a story. 

Has  it  paid  to  educate  Hsie  Yin?  The  women 
who  sit  by  their  doorways  would  give  us  their 
opinion  if  we  could  understand  them.  As  of  yore 


280  THE  BELLS  OF  THE  BLUE  PAGODA 


they  have  very  decided  opinions  on  a variety  of 
subjects.  But  the  legends  which  they  tell  their 
children  in  the  dusk  are  quite  different  from 
those  with  which  Wang  Dah  Mah  used  to 
frighten  her  darling;  demons  and  evil  spirits  are 
slowly  going  out  of  fashion.  Instead,  they  relate 
a tale  about  a brave  man  named  Pastor  Meng, 
who  defied  a mob  and  met  a hero’s  death  rather 
than  betray  his  friends;  but  the  story  the  children 
like  best  to  hear  is  the  story  of  a little  baby  born 
in  a palace  who  was  stolen  by  a wicked  beggar 
and  traveled  all  over  the  land  until,  finally,  a 
kind  lady  found  her  and  brought  her  up.  Later, 
when  she  had  become  a beautiful  woman,  she  dis- 
covered her  old  home,  becoming  wealthy  once 
more,  but  with  all  her  riches  she  never  forgot  to 
be  a friend  to  the  poor.  So  every  little  boy 
decides  to  grow  up  like  Pastor  Meng  and  each 
tiny  girl  wishes  to  be  a second  Hsie  Yin. 

Little  Small-Feet  lives  a very  busy  life,  but 
whenever  she  does  have  an  hour  to  spare,  the 
place  she  likes  best  to  visit  is  her  father’s  garden. 
In  the  late  afternoon  Wang  Dah  Mah  often  finds 
her  mistress  in  the  summer  house  that  overlooks 
the  river.  The  sun  touches  the  broad  stream, 
showrering  its  golden  rays  over  the  blue  pagoda, 


Tin-:  i.rrri.K  breezes  sway  tiik  pagoda  bei.es  with  genti.e  fingers  at  the  sunset  iiouii 


_ 


A CITY  WHERE  DREAMS  COME  TRUE  281 


then  slips  beyond  the  earth’s  rim,  leaving  a path 
of  crimson  in  the  sky. 

“The  bells  are  quiet  to-night,”  Little  Small- 
Feet  murmurs. 

“Yes,”  Wang  Dah  Mah  replies,  “and  they  did 
not  ring  when  you  were  born.  That  used  to 
trouble  me,  but  I know  better  now,  although 
somehow  even  yet  I feel  more  rested  when  I hear 
them  ringing.” 

Perhaps  the  little  breezes  are  listening  to  the 
old  amah’s  words.  It  surely  seems  as  if  they 
must  be,  for  they  leave  off  romping  down  the 
garden  paths  and  hurry  to  the  river  bank.  There 
they  sway  the  pagoda  bells  back  and  forth  with 
gentle  fingers  and  the  music  of  the  silver  tones 
lulls  the  city  to  sleep. 

“It  must  be  the  hands  of  angels,”  Little  Small- 
Feet  whispers.  “No  mortal  touch  could  move 
the  bells  so  softly.” 


kp  27 

<§) 

